A 31-year old Texas woman is in jail today for giving false information after she posed as a 15-year old, was given a guardian, and enrolled in high school.
Charity Anne Johnson fooled a woman into taking her into her home in Longview in March 2013, and enrolled in New Life Christian School as a sophomore in October.
Johnson, who used the alias "Charity Stevens," told her guardian Tamica Lincoln that she was a 15-year old orphan who had been abused by her parents.
"I sympathized with her, and invited her into my home," Lincoln told KLTV. "I took her in as a child, did her hair, got her clothes and shoes."
Lincoln became Johnson's guardian, and enrolled her in high school. Johnson had a fake ID that showed her age as 15.
Johnson had been attending the high school for eight months when school officials discovered that her enrollment information was false. When they notified police, she presented a false name and date of birth. She was arrested on Sunday after her ruse was discovered.
News of Johnson's deceit has devastated the school.
LIncoln met Johnson's teachers and friends, and said they were devastated by the news of Johnson's deceit. "Teachers were crying and students were crying, and her best friend just couldn't believe it," she said.
School officials said that parents would be notified of the situation in a letter sent home today.
Lincoln still cannot believe the deception.
"I just don't know why she did it. Why put yourself and others at risk to do something like this?" she asked. "I have deep concerns about her being who we don't know she is, and then she's out there at the school."
She also said that she has discovered more women who were fooled by Johnson, after posting her picture on Facebook.
"I've reached out to four different women off of Facebook that she has contacted. Florida, here in Longview, [and] Minnesota." she said.
Johnson was arrested for giving false information and failure to identify, is being held in the Gregg County Jail on a $500 bond.
