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Andrew Paul Johnson, 45, is among several Jan. 6 defendants who
have been charged with new crimes since Trump's sweeping act of
clemency for Capitol rioters. On his first day back in the White
House last year, Trump pardoned, commuted prison sentences or
ordered the dismissal of cases for all 1,500-plus people charged
in the attack.
Johnson was convicted last month of two counts of lewd or
lascivious molestation of a child and one count of
electronically transmitting material harmful to a minor,
according to prosecutors in Hernando County, Florida. County
Circuit Judge Judge Stephen Toner handed down Johnson's life
sentence.
Sheriff’s deputies began investigating the child molestation
allegations against Johnson in July 2025. One of his victims
told investigators that the abuse started around April 2024,
several months before Johnson was sentenced for his Capitol riot
conviction.
Johnson told one of his victims that he expected to be
compensated for being a pardoned Jan. 6 defendant and would be
putting the child in his will to inherit any leftover money,
according a sheriff's office report.
“This tactic was believed to be used to keep (the child) from
exposing what Andrew had done,” the report said.
Investigators found sexually explicit messages that Johnson
exchanged with one of his victims on the Discord messaging app,
according to Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill
Gladson’s office.
"In the messages, Johnson attempted to have the victim download
another application for a more private conversation and
encouraged the victim to delete their messages afterwards,"
Gladson's office said in a news release.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg in Washington
sentenced Johnson in August 2024 to one year behind bars after
he pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges stemming from the
riot. Johnson had asked to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming
that he was pressured into it, but the judge rejected his
request before sentencing.
Johnson, of Seffner, Florida, was carrying a bullhorn as he
marched to the Capitol after attending Trump's “Stop the Steal”
rally near the White House. He entered the building through an
office window that other rioters had smashed, according to
federal prosecutors. Johnson cursed and yelled at police
officers after they used tear gas to disperse the mob of Trump
supporters, prosecutors said.
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