2.2kt15Ë0
31-year-old woman arrested for posing as a high school sophomore
31-year-old Charity Anne Johnson is in jail after posing as a high school sophomore at New Life Christian School in Longview, Texas–and ostensibly for taking advantage of the woman who took her in, believing she was an orphan who had been abused as a child.
Via KLTV:
A spokesperson for the school said Johnson was brought in to enroll with a person who was her guardian. She enrolled in the school, giving a date of birth that indicated she was 15. On Tuesday, staff at the school discovered her identification was fake. She had been a student there since October 2013.
Tamica Lincoln says back in March, Charity told her she was 15 and needed a place to stay. “I sympathized with her, and invited her into my home. I took her in as a child, did her hair, got her clothes and shoes…”
Lincoln says Charity claimed she was abused by her biological father who has since passed away, along with her biological mother. Lincoln acted as Charity’s guardian and even met with Charity’s 10th grade teachers at New Life Christian School.
“I just don’t know why she did it. Why put yourself and others at risk to do something like this?” she wonders. “I have deep concerns about her being who we don’t know she is, and then she’s out there at the school.”
As soon as Lincoln and Paul Ward suspected Charity was using a fake identity, they called the police and went straight to the school.
“Teachers were crying and students were crying, and her best friend just couldn’t believe it.”
Since the arrest, Lincoln has posted Charity’s picture on Facebook and has been contacted by people all over the country who have been conned by her, and who are very happy to hear she is in jail now.
If this all sounds familiar, it’s because it’s very similar to the case of Treva Throneberry, who went around posing as a teenager until she was discovered at 28, and was the basis for at least two different “Law and Order” episodes. It’s also pretty similar to that “Orphan” movie, except with less murder. I hope.
Still, it’s hard not to be impressed. I barely passed for 15 when I was 15, nevermind now. Though even if I could, I doubt I’d be trying to head back to high school.
