Trial Will Air Allegations Of Child Rape

A Spokane Valley man will go on trial Monday on charges that he repeatedly raped a friend’s daughter.

The girl, now 11, first told her mother of the abuse in November after watching a television news magazine report about sex offenders. The rapes allegedly occurred when she was between 5 and 8 years old.

“She is the sweetest thing,” Sheriff’s Detective Jerry Hendren said.

Since the child’s disclosure, Bruce J. Johnson, 46, has been charged with three counts of first-degree child rape.

Johnson said this week that he is being wrongly accused.

“I’m fighting for my life here,” he said. “It’s a real unfair situation.”

He refused to comment further.

Johnson, who authorities said is in a country music group called the Snake River Band, told a sheriff’s detective he could not recall whether he committed the crimes, according to court documents.

The girl was with a friend watching the television show “20/20” when she disclosed that she had been sexually abused, court documents state.

The girl then told her mother about the abuse, and she reported it to authorities.

A relative of Johnson also recently reported that he molested her years ago, Hendren said, adding the statute of limitations has expired in that case.