Man gets 18 years for sexually abusing young relative at family sleepovers

A Chicago man was sentenced to 18 years in prison Thursday for sexually assaulting a young relative during family sleepovers.

Rapheal Johnson, 24, was previously convicted of aggravated criminal sexual assault, a Class X felony, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office. He was sentenced to 18 years Friday at a hearing before Judge William Lacy.

Prosecutors said the assaults happened at family sleepovers at Johnson’s home, and began when the victim was 8 years old. Johnson would wait for everyone else to fall asleep, then force the victim to perform various sex acts. The attacks happened on multiple occasions over several years.

Johnson was first convicted of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in 2012 for a separate case involving inappropriate conduct with another family member, also a minor, the state’s attorney’s office said.

He was sentenced to probation and ordered to register as a sex offender, the state’s attorney’s office said.

One year after that convictions, taped conversations at the Cook County Jail revealed the abuse leading to the second case.

Johnson also attended IDOC boot camp after being convicted twice in 2010 on various gun charges, the state’s attorney’s office said.