Dan Johnson: Who is the Kentucky Republican politician accused of child sexual assault found dead in apparent suicide?

Republican pastor said allegations were part of smear campaign against Republicans

Dan Johnson died on Wednesday night, in what the state coroner says was 'probably suicide' (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley, File)

A Republican state representative who denied allegations he sexually assaulted a teenage girl has died in an apparent suicide.

Dan Johnson died of a single gunshot wound after stopping his car at the end of a bridge in a secluded area of Mount Washington, Kentucky, the Bullitt County Coroner said.

"I would say it is probably suicide," Dave Billings said.

Who was he?

Mr Johnson was elected to the state legislature in 2016, part of a wave of Republican victories that gave the GOP control of the Kentucky House of Representatives for the first time in nearly 100 years.

He won the election despite Republican leaders urging him to drop out of the race after local media reported on some of his Facebook posts comparing Barack and Michelle Obama to monkeys.

As the pastor of Heart of Fire church in Louisville, Mr Johnson sponsored a number of bills having to do with religious liberty and teaching the Bible in public schools.

What was he accused of?

With friends and family standing behind him, Dan Johnson addresses the public from his church regarding allegations he sexually abused a teenager after a New Year's party in 2013 (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

The Republican faced calls to resign from both Republican and Democratic congressional leaders in the wake of child sexual assault allegations.

The Kentucky Centre for Investigative Reporting published an account from his daughter's friend saying Mr Johnson sexually assaulted her in the basement of his home in 2013.

The woman, who was a member of his church, claims he put his hands up her bra and down her trousers despite begging him to stop.

She told police at the time, who investigated the allegations but closed the case and did not file charges.

How did he respond to the allegations?

The pastor denied the allegations and told his congregation they were part of a broader smear campaign against Republicans running for office.

He cited the example of Roy Moore, the Republican who lost to Doug Jones in the Senate race in Alabama, who faces accusations of sexual misconduct from multiple women.

"I don't think in every case women lie. Not at all,” Mr Johnson said during an announcement at his church.

“I think it is the season. Last election it seemed to be racism. This one seems to be sexual impropriety. If the police or anyone involved had thought that this was a real case, don't you think they would have pursued that? There is no way they would have let up if they thought there was something to it."

His last Facebook post

Shortly before 5pm on Wednesday, he posted a message on his Facebook page asking people to care for his wife.

He wrote that PTSD "is a sickness that will take my life, I cannot handle it any longer. It has won this life, BUT HEAVEN IS MY HOME." The post appears to have been deleted.

Michael Skoler, president of Louisville Public Media, which owns the Kentucky Centre for Investigative Reporting, said everyone at the organisation is "deeply sad."

"Our aim, as always, is to provide the public with fact-based, unbiased reporting and hold public officials accountable for their actions," Mr Skoler said.

"As part of our process, we reached out to Representative Johnson numerous times over the course of a seven-month investigation. He declined requests to talk about our findings."