David Nephi Johnson, 54, is the chairman of Wasatch County Republican Party in Utah. His teenage daughter, police say, failed to tidy her room "to his standards." Police are interested in this because Johnson allegedly punished his child by waterboarding her, and was charged with aggravated child abuse, a first-degree felony.
When the teen returned home, Johnson "grabbed the victim by the back of her neck and took her into the bathroom while the sink was filling with water. She disclosed that (Johnson) dunked her head under, brought it out, splashed water in her face, then dunked the victim's head under again," the affidavit alleges. "The victim disclosed that she couldn't breathe for about 20 to 30 seconds."
The teen also "disclosed multiple incidents involving her siblings" allegedly being abused, including a younger brother whom she said Johnson also grabbed by the neck, "took him into the bathroom and forced his head under the water. The victim stated that David removed her brother from the water, splashed water on his face and nose, knocked him down and repeated the act multiple times," the affidavit says.
Heber City Police Department posted a statement on Facebook:
During the course of the investigation, detectives also learned that the juvenile had been backhanded on the torso, resulting in visible bruising.
Through interviews and a thorough investigation, detectives determined that aggravated child abuse had occurred. As a result, David Johnson was arrested on February 10, 2026, and booked into the Wasatch Count jail on charges of Aggravated Child Abuse.
Due to the ongoing nature of the case and the involvement of a minor, no further details will be released at this time. The Heber City Police Department remains committed to protecting children and holding offenders accountable.
The local Republicans were cagey: "Thus far, the public has not seen any evidence in this case. We encourage the community to refrain from judgment until the facts and evidence have been presented."
