KS - Ryan Bloom for raping 12yo girl, Hutchinson, 2006

Assault victim's grandmother sentenced to 2 years probation

HUTCHINSON, Kan. -- The grandmother of a sexual assault victim has been sentenced to two years probation for helping to keep her granddaughter out of state so the girl couldn't testify against her adoptive father.


Barbara Johnson, 58, was sentenced Wednesday for a single count of aggravated intimidation of a witness.

Johnson's son-in-law, Ryan Bloom, a former Trego County sheriff and a teacher at the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center, is serving 27 years in prison for molesting the girl.

Johnson's daughter, Jessica Bloom, was sentenced to 18 months' probation after pleading guilty to aiding a felon and conspiracy to aid a felon.

http://www.kctv5.com/Global/story.asp?S=5956876

SewingDeb said:

The grandmother of a sexual assault victim has been sentenced to two years probation for helping to keep her granddaughter out of state so the girl couldn't testify against her adoptive father.

Click to expand...

I wonder if this were rephrased, if she'd still be in trouble.

The grandmother may have kept her out of state so as not to have her traumatized by testifying.

In which case, she'd be justified, in my opinion.

I really doubt there would be a conviction if "this grandmother" did this in good faith, to protect the grand daughter, and not in bad faith so that her "daughter and son-in law" would not be held responsible for the harm that they have caused this child.

You see the greand mother put the interests of her own daughter and the son-in law well before the grand daughter.

You know "blame" the victim mentality...............

The "grand mother" pleaded guilty.........

CyberLaw said:

I really doubt there would be a conviction if "this grandmother" did this in good faith, to protect the grand daughter, and not in bad faith so that her "daughter and son-in law" would not be held responsible for the harm that they have caused this child.

You see the greand mother put the interests of her own daughter and the son-in law well before the grand daughter.

You know "blame" the victim mentality...............

Click to expand...

Maybe true - but who knows what the motive was, really, besides the woman?

Who is going to plead guilty to a crime, if they have clean hands and are innocent. The women if she did have clean hands and did this in good faith, would have opted for a trial. I am sure there are a lot more facts to this case that have not been published, that lead to the charges and her pleading guilty.

A grand mother would want the people who victimized her grand daughter punished for the crimes they committed in such a horrible manner, oh I forgot it was her own daughter and her daughters husband who harmed the grand daughter. She was protecting her daughter and son-in law, not the child.

The child would choose to testify, or they would be required to testify, to ensure that the "monsters" who harmed her are brought to justice. It is not the decision of the grand mother. She is not the victim.

But I applaud you for "thinking" that the grand mother acted in the best interest of her grand daughter, and not the best interest of her daughter and son-in law.

I am sure the grand mother thought that if the girl just did not say anything and "kept this all a secret" then her daughter and son-in law would not be brought to justice. But the girl did not keep the secret........and was fruther victimized by the grand mother.