PENSACOLA, FLORIDA - A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Samuel J. Johnson, 42, of Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, with production, receipt, and possession of child pornography, and transfer of obscene matter to a minor. The indictment was announced today by Pamela C. Marsh, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
The indictment alleges that, between April 2013 and April 2015, Johnson knowingly used a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions, and that he committed this offense while he was required to register as a sex offender. The indictment also alleges that Johnson received images and videos containing child pornography, that he possessed material containing images and videos of child pornography involving a minor under age 12, and that he transferred obscene matter to an individual less than age 16.
Johnson was arraigned in federal court today before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth M. Timothy at the United States Courthouse, in Pensacola, Florida. The trial is scheduled for July 6, 2015.
The case is being investigated by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Pensacola Police Department, and the other agencies that are part of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, whose joint investigation led to the charges in this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Tharp.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. The office strives to protect and serve the citizens of the Northern District of Florida through the ethical, vigorous, and impartial enforcement of the laws of the United States, to defend the national security, to improve the safety and quality of life in our communities through the protection of civil rights, and to protect the public funds and financial assets of the United States. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
For more information, contact:
Amy Alexander, Public Information Officer
(850) 216-3854, amy.alexander@usdoj.gov
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
