No one expected Charity Anne Johnson, a supposed high school sophomore in Longview, Texas to really be a 34-year-old pretending to be a student. Staff and students were shocked to find out this week that their supposed classmate is nearly two decades older than them.
Longview Police Department Photo
Johnson has been arrested by police for providing a false identity.
Johnson claimed she was 15-years-old and previously homeschooled when she enrolled at New Life Christian School in October 2013, principal Stuart Newlin told USA Today. No one questioned her story, Newlin said.
“She acted like a respectful student and did good work,†Newlin said. “She had good grades.â€
Her true identity was exposed when her housemate, Tamica Lincoln, contacted police.
Debra Stiles, a public information officer for the Longview Police Department, said officials were sent to the home on a report of trespassing. Lincoln wanted Johnson out of the house they shared, Stiles said, after realizing she was lying about her real identity.
When officers arrived to the scene and asked for her name, Johnson provided a false identity and was then arrested. Johnson was sent to jail with her bond set at $500. A police record said her age was 31, but Stiles says she is actually 34.
The case is an ongoing investigation, Stiles said, and the police are still in the process of collecting more information. It is still uncertain why Johnson would want to pose as a high school sophomore and lie about her identity.
“There’s a lot more to find out,†Newlin said. He said that other students are shocked by the news.
“They can’t believe that she’s not the person she was presenting herself to be,†he said.
While her high school peers are clearly shocked by the interesting revelation, more light should be shed as to why this happened as the investigation unfolds further.
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