Trump pardoned and saved him from prison then he went on to abuse underage children. Now he will rot in prison.
Florida – A Florida man who once received clemency for his role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has now been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for child s** crimes, marking a dramatic and troubling turn in his legal history.
Andrew Paul Johnson, 45, was handed a life sentence after being convicted last month on multiple charges involving two children. Prosecutors said Johnson was found guilty of two counts of le*d or lascivious mole**ation of a child, including one under the age of 12 and another under 16, as well as electronically transmitting harmful material to a minor.
The sentence was announced by the Office of State Attorney Bill Gladson for Florida’s Fifth Judicial Circuit.
Johnson’s arrest in August 2025 came roughly nine months after he was pardoned by President Donald Trump. On his first day back in the White House last year, Trump issued sweeping clemency to more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The action included pardons, commutations, and dismissals for offenses ranging from misdemeanor trespassing to felony assault charges.
Johnson had previously pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges tied to the riot. In August 2024, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg sentenced him to one year in prison. Before sentencing, Johnson attempted to withdraw his plea, arguing that he had been pressured into accepting it. The judge rejected that request.
Federal prosecutors said Johnson had marched toward the Capitol carrying a bullhorn after attending the “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House. He entered the building through a window that had been smashed by other rioters and shouted at law enforcement officers after they deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd.
The child abuse investigation began in July 2025, when sheriff’s deputies in Hernando County started looking into allegations against Johnson. According to investigators, one victim reported that the abuse began around April 2024, months before Johnson was sentenced for his Capitol-related conviction.
Authorities said Johnson used manipulation to maintain control over at least one victim. According to a sheriff’s office report, he told the child that he expected to receive compensation from the government as a pardoned January 6 defendant.
He allegedly promised to include the child in his will so they could inherit any remaining funds. Investigators believe this was an attempt to discourage the victim from reporting the abuse.
“This tactic was believed to be used to keep [the child] from exposing what Andrew had done,” the report stated.
Prosecutors also detailed digital evidence gathered during the investigation. According to Gladson’s office, Johnson exchanged s**ually explicit messages with one victim through the Discord messaging platform.
In those communications, he allegedly urged the child to download another application for more private conversations and encouraged them to delete their message history afterward.
Johnson is not the only January 6 defendant to face new criminal allegations after receiving clemency. Earlier this week, another rioter, Bryan Betancur, was arrested in connection with an assault and battery case involving an incident on a Metro train. Videos circulating online appeared to show him touching women’s hair.
Meanwhile, discussions have continued at the national level about possible financial compensation for some January 6 defendants. The Justice Department has already paid just under $5 million to the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was fatally shot while attempting to climb through a broken window inside the Capitol.
For Johnson, however, any expectations of financial relief are now overshadowed by a life sentence. His case closes one chapter that began with the Capitol riot and opens another defined by far more serious crimes and permanent consequences.
