James Matthew Johnson, a 36-year-old resident of Glade Valley, North Carolina, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This was announced by Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Upon his release from prison, Johnson will also be required to register as a sex offender.

The announcement was made in conjunction with Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North and South Carolina, and Chief Andy LeBeau of the Boone Police Department.

Court documents reveal that the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received information about Johnson uploading CSAM to a cloud service. An investigation led law enforcement to identify Johnson as the suspect. In June 2023, authorities executed a search warrant on his electronic devices. A forensic examination uncovered over 200 images and 300 videos depicting child sexual abuse involving children as young as toddlers. Additionally, evidence showed that Johnson produced CSAM featuring an intoxicated minor victim who was unaware of being filmed.

Johnson pleaded guilty on March 22, 2024, to charges related to the production of child pornography. He is currently held in federal custody and will be transferred to a federal facility once designated.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell emphasized the gravity of these offenses during sentencing: “these offenses are serious, and the Court takes them seriously.”

The investigation involved HSI and the Boone Police Department while Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Cervantes prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies.