Andrew Paul Johnson, 44, who received a presidential pardon from Donald Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol assault, was arrested in Florida and faces serious child sex abuse charges against two minors, according to court documents obtained by national media.
The case, first revealed by The Intercept, has raised concerns about the background and behavior of some of the individuals who benefited during the president’s second term.
Pardoned by Trump again detained
Johnson was first arrested in Tennessee in August 2025 and subsequently extradited to Florida, where he remains in custody. Although he pleaded not guilty, the charges he faces include:
Child sexual abuse against minors between 12 and 16 years of age
Exhibitionism
Transmission of material harmful to a minor
Investigation started after complaints from two minors
According to the court report cited by The Intercept, the investigation was triggered after authorities received a call reporting that two minors had allegedly been victims of “lewd acts over several months” by Johnson.
One of the mothers reported that her 11-year-old son revealed that the defendant sexually abused him on three occasions between April and October 2024.
Reports indicate that Johnson allegedly emotionally manipulated the minor, telling him that he had been pardoned by Trump and would receive a supposed $10 million reward, something investigators believe he used to try to keep the boy from telling what happened.
Who is Andrew Paul Johnson and why was he pardoned?
Host: A man pardoned by Trump for storming the Capitol on January 6th was arrested in August and charged with sex crimes against two children. One of the victims, an 11 year old boy, said 44-year-old Andrew Paul Johnson molested him three times pic.twitter.com/UsaTReJ0l4
– FactPost (@factpostnews) November 19, 2025
Johnson is one of approximately 1,500 defendants charged for their involvement in the Capitol riots of January 6, 2021, when a crowd stormed Congress during the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory.
During his campaign and subsequent return to the presidency, Trump called the participants “heroes,” and on January 20, 2025 – the first day of his second term – he signed the pardon that benefited Johnson and other defendants.
Trump was facing a criminal case for allegedly instigating the assault, but prosecutors dropped the charges once he won last year’s presidential election.
A case that fuels the debate on presidential pardons
The arrest of Andrew Paul Johnson has reignited the discussion about the criteria used to grant presidential pardons and the impact these privileges can have when granted without a thorough background check.
The court documents do not detail whether Johnson had a prior history of sexual offenses, but the case has raised questions among civil rights organizations and legal experts.
Johnson has been formally charged and remains in custody while the judicial process in Florida continues.
No hearing date has been announced, but authorities have indicated that the investigation is ongoing.
Due to the seriousness of the charges, he could face decades in prison if found guilty.
