Meraux man booked with carnal knowledge of a juvenile teen girl and with extortion for trying to force her to continue their relationship by threats to post a videotape of them to the Internet

In an unusual case, a Meraux man was booked with carnal knowledge of a juvenile teen-age girl he met on a social networking site and with extortion for trying to force her to continue their relationship by threatening to post a videotape of them to the Internet, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

John Johnson Jr., 21, was arrested June 21 after the Violet girl told her mother of the threat and they called the Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The teen, interviewed the next day by detectives from the Juvenile Division, said she wanted to end their relationship but Johnson claimed he had made a video of them having sex and said he would post it to the Internet if she broke up with him.

Johnson admitted to Det. Sgt. Anthony Bruscato the couple had sexual relations earlier this year after they met online last year on a social networking site and began a relationship, the sheriff said.

He also said no sex video existed but admitted he told her that to scare her so she wouldn’t break up with him.

Johnson was booked on two counts of carnal knowledge of a juvenile for their sex acts and with extortion for his attempt to continue the relationship through the threat to post a video he said he had, the sheriff said.

He is being held in St. Bernard Parish Prison in lieu of $75,000 bond.

Sheriff Pohlmann said the case highlights the need for parents to try to monitor their under-age juveniles’ use of social networking sites and relationships they form with people they know only through contact on the Internet.