SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A Sanford man who is accused of taking pictures and videos of girls has now been indicted on federal charges, according the U.S. Attorney’s Officer for the Middle District of Florida.
A federal grand jury handed down the indictment Wednesday against Justin Johnson, Sr., 47, formally charging him with 12 counts of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse images and videos and one count of possession of child pornography.
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Johnson was arrested on Feb. 23.
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He faces 15 to 30 years in prison for each count if convicted, prosecutors said.
Investigators said the investigation into Johnson, who has been a foster parent with about 20 children placed in his care since 2019, was launched Jan. 28 when Child Protective Services alerted law enforcement to a possible case of child pornography.
On that same day, the five foster children who were currently under his care were removed from his custody and placed back into the system, without any additional contact with Johnson, police said.
According to an arrest report, authorities located videos set up in a bedroom that captured three separate instances where girls were changing into clothes.
Prosecutors said the FBI has identified at least 12 child victims.