Andrew Paul Johnson, a Florida handyman who was pardoned by former President Donald Trump after storming the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, has been sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing two children.
Key Takeaways
Andrew Paul Johnson, pardoned by Trump for his role in the Capitol riot, was sentenced to life in prison for molesting two children. He used threats of financial compensation from the Trump administration to silence his victims.
- Andrew Paul Johnson received a life sentence for child molestation
- Johnson had been pardoned by Trump after being convicted for participating in the January 6 Capitol riot
- Victims were threatened with loss of expected restitution money if they revealed abuse
- Explicit messages and evidence found on Discord messaging app
The 45-year-old was convicted last month of molesting a child under 12 and another under 16. Hernando County Circuit Judge Stephen Toner handed down the sentence on Thursday, according to prosecutors in Florida's Fifth Judicial Circuit.
Johnson began abusing the children around April 2024, several months before he was sentenced for his role in the Capitol riot. He told one of his victims that he expected to be compensated by the Trump administration and would include the child in his will to inherit any leftover money.
'He said not to tell anybody,' one of Johnson's victims testified, according to NPR. The other victim said they were scared and didn't realize the abuse was wrong because they were 12 years old at the time.
Investigators found sexually explicit messages that Johnson exchanged with one of his victims on the Discord messaging app. He attempted to have the victim download another application for more private conversations and encouraged them to delete their messages afterward, according to Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson's office.
Johnson was initially sentenced in August 2024 to one year in prison for his role in storming the Capitol. He entered the building through a window that other rioters had smashed and cursed at police officers after they used tear gas to disperse the mob, according to federal prosecutors.
Trump pardoned Johnson immediately after taking office for his second term when he granted clemency to over 1,500 people charged in connection with the January 6 riot. After being released, Johnson continued abusing one of the young boys and resumed his relationship with the boy's mother.
Johnson is among several Capitol riot defendants who have been charged with new crimes since receiving pardons from Trump. At least 33 rioters have allegedly been reoffenders, according to a report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
How this summary was created
This summary synthesizes reporting from 5 independent publishers using AI. All sources are cited and linked below. NewsBalance is a news aggregator and media literacy tool, not a news publisher. AI-generated content may contain errors or inaccuracies — always verify important information with the original sources.