Andrew Paul Johnson Gets Life Sentence After Pardoned Jan. 6 Conviction
Andrew Paul Johnson, a Florida handyman who had been pardoned for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after state jurors convicted him of multiple sex crimes involving two children. The sentence highlights new criminal exposure faced by some individuals who received clemency after the Capitol riot and follows a separate federal punishment tied to the same riot conviction.
Andrew Paul Johnson sentenced to life
County Circuit Judge Stephen Toner imposed a life sentence after jurors found Johnson guilty of a series of offenses in the Florida case. State-level convictions include lewd or lascivious molestation counts and charges for transmitting material harmful to a minor by electronic device. Prosecutors in Hernando County said the convictions and the life term stem from abuse of two juvenile victims.
Convictions and prior federal case
The state charges list multiple counts: lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim under 12, lewd or lascivious molestation of a victim 12 to under 16, two counts of lewd or lascivious exhibition, and transmission of material harmful to a minor by electronic device. Assistant state attorneys prosecuted the case to conviction.
Separately, Johnson pleaded guilty in federal court to four misdemeanor counts tied to his presence at the Jan. 6 Capitol. Chief U. S. District Court Judge James Boasberg later sentenced him to one year behind bars on that federal case. Johnson had sought to withdraw his federal guilty plea before sentencing, but the judge rejected that request.
Investigation timeline and next steps
Sheriff’s deputies began investigating the child molestation allegations in July 2025. One victim told investigators the abuse began around April 2024, several months before Johnson received his federal sentence for the Capitol riot convictions. Investigators recovered sexually explicit messages exchanged on the Discord messaging application and photographed inappropriate images and communications found on electronic devices.
A sheriff’s office report notes that Johnson told one victim he expected to be compensated because he had been pardoned for the Jan. 6 case and that the child would be included in his will to inherit any leftover money. The report characterized that statement as a tactic believed to have been used to discourage the child from disclosing the abuse. In messages, Johnson allegedly encouraged a victim to move conversations to a more private application and to delete messages afterward.
State prosecutors secured the life sentence at the county level. It is unclear at this time whether Johnson’s legal team will file post-conviction motions or appeals challenging the state verdict and sentence.
- Key takeaways: A Florida man pardoned for Jan. 6 actions has been sentenced to life after state convictions for child sex offenses.
- Investigations began in July 2025; alleged abuse dated to about April 2024.
- He previously received a one-year federal sentence tied to the Capitol riot after pleading guilty to misdemeanor counts.
The life sentence at the state level means Johnson will remain in custody regardless of the earlier federal disposition. If defense attorneys pursue appeals or other post-conviction relief, court filings and scheduling will determine how long those matters take to resolve and whether any part of the sentence is altered. For now, the state court’s life term is the controlling punishment for the child sex convictions.
