A man who took part in the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol and was pardoned by Donald Trump earlier this year has been arrested on multiple child sexual abuse charges in Florida, according to local authorities.
The man, identified as 44-year-old Andrew Paul Johnson, was taken into custody in August in Tennessee and extradited to Florida where, according to arrest records, he faces charges of lewd and lascivious child molestation of a child under 12, lewd and lascivious child molestation of a child between 12 and 16, as well as lewd and lascivious exhibition, and transmission of material harmful to a minor.
The charges were first reported by the Intercept earlier this week, and records show that Johnson is being held at the Hernando county detention center in Spring Hill, Florida.
A probable cause affidavit alleges that in July, the Hernando county sheriff’s office received a report that “two juveniles had fallen victim to lewd and lascivious acts over a many-month span.”
The report states that officers spoke with the mother of one of the children, who said that she discovered that Johnson, who was described as her ex-boyfriend who formerly lived in the house, had been sending “inappropriate” Discord messages to her son.
The woman said she asked her son about the messages and also asked if Johnson had “done or said anything inappropriate” to which she said her son told her “that between April 1 2024 and October 2024” Johnson had “molested him three times”, beginning when he was 11 years old.
The report also alleges that Johnson told the child that “he was pardoned for storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and he was being awarded $10,000,000 as a result of being a ‘jan 6er’” and that he would be “putting him in his will to take any money he had left over”.
Investigators state that “this tactic was believed to be used to keep” the child “from exposing what Andrew had done to him”.
Johnson has pleaded not guilty.
His attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Guardian. The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrest.
Johnson was among the roughly 1,500 people charged in connection with the January 6 attack who received pardons or commutations from Trump earlier this year.
While Trump has publicly floated the idea of compensating those prosecuted for their role in the US Capitol attack, none have been awarded compensation yet. (His administration did reportedly agree to pay nearly $5m to the family of the woman who was fatally shot by police during the riot.)
According to an FBI affidavit, on January 6, Johnson “unlawfully entered the Capitol” through a window that had been breached by rioters on the Lower West Terrace and exited through the same opening. He was arrested later that day for violating the curfew that had been put in place in Washington DC.
NBC News reported that Johnson referred to himself as an “American Terrorist” and “Proud j6er”, and that authorities said that he engaged in “disorderly and disruptive conduct” for more several hours, and encouraged other rioters to follow him.
Johnson pleaded guilty in April 2024, according to documents, to charges including entering and remaining in a restricted building, disorderly and disruptive conduct, violent entry and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building, and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. Several months later, Johnson attempted to withdraw his plea, but it was denied.
Last month, another man who was pardoned by Trump for his role in the January 6 attack was arrested for allegedly threatening to kill Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House minority leader. In July, another man pardoned over his role in January 6 was sentenced to life in prison for plotting attacks on an FBI office and law enforcement officers. And in May, another pardoned rioter was arrested in Virginia for burglary and vandalism.
• In the US, call or text the Childhelp abuse hotline on 800-422-4453 or visit their website for more resources and to report child abuse or DM for help. For adult survivors of child abuse, help is available at ascasupport.org. In the UK, the NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, or Bravehearts on 1800 272 831, and adult survivors can contact Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Other sources of help can be found at Child Helplines International
