Evansville man sentenced to 17 years in prison for child exploitation and abuse

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — An Evansville man was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison Wednesday for drugging and sexually exploiting a child and using a cellphone to document the abuse.

Todd Johnson Jr., 33, pleaded guilty to three counts of production and attempted production of sexually explicit material involving a minor. In addition to the 17-year sentence, Johnson also faces 15 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.

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According to federal court documents, the charges stem from three separate incidents in early 2021. In his plea agreement, Johnson admitted to using a smartphone to take a series of still images depicting himself engaging in a sex act with a child. 

He admitted to drugging the victim with a strong sedative medication prior to the abuse, and admitted he knew the victim was a minor. 

U.S. Marshals arrested Johnson in April 2021 after a woman told Evansville police she saw sexually explicit images of a child on Johnson’s phone, according to court records. 

The Federal Bureau of Investigations investigated the case, with the Evansville Police Department and the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office Cyber Crime Unit assisting.