Capitol rioter who was pardoned by Trump gets a life sentence for molesting 2 children in Florida
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Florida mechanic sentenced to life in prison for molesting two children was found guilty Thursday. storm the Capitol He was only pardoned by President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021.
Andrew Paul Johnson, 45, is among several defendants charged on Jan. 6. new crimes Since Trump far-reaching act of mercy For the Capitol rioters. On his first day back in the White House last year, Trump pardoned all of the more than 1,500 people accused of the attack, commuting their prison sentences or ordering the cases to be dismissed.
Johnson was convicted last month of two counts of lewd or lascivious molestation of a child and one count of electronically transmitting harmful material to a minor, according to prosecutors in Florida’s Hernando County. District Judge Stephen Toner sentenced Johnson to life in prison.
Sheriff’s deputies began investigating child abuse allegations against Johnson in July 2025. One of his victims told investigators the abuse began around April 2024, several months before Johnson was convicted for the Capitol riot.
According to the sheriff’s office report, Johnson told one of his victims that he expected to receive compensation because he was a pardoned defendant on Jan. 6 and that he would leave the remaining money to the child as an inheritance.
“It was believed that this tactic was used to prevent (the child) from revealing what Andrew had done,” the report said.
According to the office of Fifth Judicial Circuit State’s Attorney Bill Gladson, investigators found sexually explicit messages Johnson shared with one of his victims on the Discord messaging app.
“In the messages, Johnson attempted to get the victim to download another app for a more private conversation and encouraged the victim to then delete her messages,” Gladson’s office said in a press release. he said.
Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court in Washington sentenced Johnson to one year in prison in August 2024 after pleading guilty to four misdemeanor charges stemming from the riot. Johnson wanted to withdraw the criminal complaint, claiming that he was pressured, but the judge rejected your request before giving the sentence.
Johnson, of Seffner, Florida, was carrying a megaphone as he walked to the Capitol after attending Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House. The man entered the building through an office window that other rioters had broken, according to federal prosecutors. Prosecutors said Johnson cursed and shouted at police officers who used tear gas to disperse the crowd of Trump supporters.
