AUGUSTA COUNTY, VA (Rocktown Now) — A Stuart’s Draft man has been arrested on a rape charge after an investigation.

Augusta County Sheriff Donald Smith says that on June 1, 2026, a citizen reported a sexual assault to the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office lobby.

Sheriff Smith says the initial investigation revealed that the female victim was allegedly subjected to repeated sexual assaults between 2018 and 2024. During the period in which the offenses are alleged to have occurred, the victim was approximately 9 years old when the abuse began.

The Augusta County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division conducted multiple interviews and, as a result of the investigation, arrested 69-year-old Sam Leonard Johnson of Stuarts Draft.

Johnson has been charged with:

  • One felony count of Rape
  • One felony count of Object Sexual Penetration

Johnson is currently being held without bond at the Middle River Regional Jail.

Sheriff Smith says this remains an active and ongoing investigation. Additional charges may be forthcoming as investigators continue to gather information and review evidence.

Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office at (540) 245-5333.