A Florida man previously pardoned by Donald Trump for his role in the January 6 Capitol riot has now been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing children.
Andrew Paul Johnson, 45, received the sentence Thursday after a Hernando County jury convicted him last month of two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child and one count of electronically transmitting material harmful to a minor. Circuit Judge Stephen Toner handed down the sentence in the Florida case.
Authorities said the abuse began months before Johnson was sentenced in federal court for his role in the Capitol breach.
One of the victims told investigators that the misconduct started around April 2024, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office. Johnson was later sentenced in August 2024 to one year in prison after pleading guilty to four misdemeanor charges tied to the January 6 attack.
Detectives also discovered sexually explicit messages exchanged between Johnson and one of the victims on the Discord messaging platform.
“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,” the Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson’s office said in a news release.
According to investigators, Johnson also tried to manipulate one of the victims by referencing money he expected to receive after being pardoned.
A sheriff’s office report states Johnson told the child he anticipated compensation connected to his pardon and suggested the victim would inherit any remaining funds through his will. Investigators said the comment appeared intended to discourage the child from exposing the abuse.
Johnson was among more than 1,500 defendants connected to the January 6 riot who received pardons, commutations, or case dismissals under Trump’s clemency order.
