Misplaced phone leads to child porn charges against Chambersburg pair

A misplaced cellphone found to contain nude images of a child has resulted in felony child pornography charges against two Chambersburg people. 

Tyler Lee Kauffman, 35, and Julie Johnson, 50, were both put in Franklin County Jail on $100,000 bail following their arrests Friday, according to online court records. 

A woman contacted Chambersburg police the evening of Jan. 20 and reported that friends showed her a cellphone containing nude images of her 8-year-old son, according to court documents. They said the phone had been left in an apartment by Tyler Kauffman. 

Police identified Julie Johnson as the owner of the Motorola phone, and she later came to the borough police department to claim it. 

Johnson told police that she, Kauffman and the boy had taken sexually explicit photos together at Carson's Motel, located on West Loudon Street (U.S. 30 west) in Chambersburg, according to court documents.  

She admitted to using the phone to take photos of the boy with his genitals exposed, and said she performed oral sex on Kauffman as the boy took photographs. 

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During his interview, the 8-year-old boy described Johnson pulling down his pants, laughing, then taking a photo, court documents state. He said Johnson had first exposed her genitals and breasts to him. 

Other details shared by the boy matched those shared by Johnson for the most part; however, he said he ran outside when Johnson asked him to record video of her sexual encounter with Kauffman. 

The boy added that Kauffman asked him to take a photo of Johnson's breasts. 

Johnson consented to a search of her phone. Police found images matching those described by Johnson and the boy, including photos of the sexual encounter between the defendants, according to court documents. Those last images were found in the phone's trash folder. 

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Kauffman is charged with child pornography, and Johnson is charged with photograph/film/depict a sex act. Both are charged with unlawful contact with a minor and corruption of minors.

Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for 8:15 a.m. Tuesday before Magisterial District Judge Glenn Manns in Franklin County Central Court. 

Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.