Las Vegas Man Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison For Receipt Of Over 600 Images And Videos Of Child Pornography

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A Las Vegas man who admitted to using file sharing applications to receive more than 600 images of toddlers and children engaged in sexually explicit conduct was sentenced today to 144 months in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney Dayle Elieson for the District of Nevada.

Ricky Damian Johnston, 59, previously pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced him to a lifetime term of supervised release following his incarceration and he will be required to register as a sex offender.

According to information in the plea agreement, Johnston admitted that, from January 1, 2005 to October 29, 2014, he used multiple peer-to-peer file sharing software applications to search for and download images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Forensic examination of his electronic devices revealed that he downloaded more than 600 images and videos, including some of toddlers engaged in a sexually explicit conduct with adults. Computer forensics also showed that Johnston received live-streamed videos of children from southeast Asia engaged in a sexually explicit conduct. Furthermore, he shared and distributed child pornography by actively managing his “shared” folders on the various software applications.

The case was investigated by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elham Roohani prosecuted the case.

If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, make a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) CyberTipline at www.cybertipline.org.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and for information about internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.

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