Judge rejects plea deal in gymnastics coach's case

Mar. 6—Judge Dean Dankelson rejected a former Joplin gymnastics coach's plea deal Monday at his sentencing for sexual abuse of a boy in his charge, resulting in the defendant's withdrawal of the guilty plea he entered two months ago.

Kip A. Johnson, 47, pleaded guilty Jan. 17 to two counts of second-degree statutory sodomy in a plea bargain dismissing a related misdemeanor count of furnishing pornographic materials to a minor and assessing him five years on each count, with the defendant to be sent to the state's sex offender assessment unit with a court review after 120 days for possible placement on probation.

Dankelson did not state a reason in court for his rejection of the plea deal that Johnson had reached with the Jasper County prosecutor's office. But the judge's decision caused Johnson to withdraw his plea of guilty through his attorney, Phil Glade, and to ask for a change of judge.

The case accordingly was reassigned to Judge David Mouton's docket.

Johnson was co-owner of Amplify Gymnastics when he was charged with the offenses in February 2021 after an investigation by Joplin police of disclosures made by a teen during an interview at the Children's Center in Joplin.

Amplify Gymnastics was established in Joplin after the 2011 tornado, offering instruction in trampoline, tumbling and artistic gymnastics to boys and girls.

The alleged victim in the case told investigators that Johnson sexually abused him on multiple occasions and at several locations in and outside Joplin, including various venues across the country where gymnastics competitions were held.

The sodomy counts pertain specifically to acts committed in 2018 and 2019 when the boy was between 14 and 16 years old and Johnson was his coach. A probable-cause affidavit alleges that Johnson began communicating with the teen through social media and text messages and eventually coaxed him into sending him nude pictures of himself. Johnson also sent nude images of himself to the boy, according to the affidavit.

The defendant also remains charged in Newton County with two counts of statutory sodomy regarding alleged acts committed in January 2021 at a location on East 32nd Street in Joplin. He has a hearing scheduled April 19 in that case.