PRESS RELEASE
April 3, 2008
Lexington, Ky. — A 38-year-old Lexington man was indicted today for Producing, Transporting and Possession Child Pornography which could result in a 60 year prison sentence if convicted.
The Indictment alleges that in November of 2006, John Johnson knowingly used a ten-year-old female to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of making visual reproduction of that conduct. The indictment also accuses Johnson of transporting and shipping such images in interstate commerce by any means, including by computer. Johnson is also alleged to have knowingly possessed sexually explicit images of children.
James A. Zerhusen, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Larry R. Willis, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Ronnie Bastin, Chief, Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Division of Police, jointly made the announcement today after a federal grand jury in Lexington returned the indictment.
The investigation preceding the Indictment was conducted by the FBI and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government Division of Police. The Indictment was presented to the grand jury by Assistant United States Attorney Erin J. May
Johnson’s appearance before the United States District Court has not yet been set by the Court in Lexington, Ky. If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum prison sentence of 60 years. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence.
The indictment of a person by a grand jury is an accusation only, and that person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.