Overview
- Andrew Paul Johnson, 44, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump for his role in the Capitol riot, was arrested in Tennessee in August and extradited to Hernando County, Florida, on multiple child-sex charges.
- An arrest affidavit alleges Johnson told a boy he expected a $10 million Jan. 6 payout and would include him in his will, a tactic investigators say was meant to keep the child from reporting abuse.
- Officials say a mother discovered inappropriate Discord messages that led to allegations Johnson molested her son three times between April and October 2024, beginning when the child was 11.
- Detectives report Johnson mailed the boy an iPhone, instructed him to delete evidence and reset the device, sent explicit material, and exposed himself, with two juveniles named as victims in separate cases.
- Johnson has pleaded not guilty, a court hearing is set for Dec. 10, and news outlets report no reparations payments have been made to pardoned Jan. 6 defendants.