ICE HSI, USMS joint investigation puts Twin Falls man behind bars for 60 years for producing child pornography

BOISE, Idaho — Seth Anthony Johnson, 35, of Twin Falls, Idaho, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 60 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor, possession of child pornography, and sexual exploitation of minor after a prior conviction for a felony sex offense, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Eben Roberts and U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Johnson serve lifetime supervised release following his prison sentence. After a three-day trial held in October 2019, a jury found Johnson guilty of possession child pornography and sexually exploiting an 8-year-old girl while required to register as a sex offender under federal and state law.

According to court records, Johnson was arrested on November 29, 2017. At that time, federal agents discovered six images of child pornography on his cell phone. After eight months of investigation, agents identified the minor victim as an 8-year-old girl. Agents also determined that Johnson had produced the images of child pornography with his cell phone. At the time that he did so, Johnson was required to register as a sex offender under federal and state law due to a prior rape conviction.

“The 60-year sentence imposed by Chief Judge Nye will ensure the community’s most vulnerable members, young children, are protected from future predatory behavior by Johnson,” U.S. Attorney Davis said. “The continued dedication and determination of federal agents to identify the victim in this case was nonpareil.”

This case was investigated by HSI and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS).

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423; TTY for hearing impaired: (802) 872-6196. This hotline is staffed around-the-clock by investigators.

HSI protects and rescues children from criminals who seek to harm or exploit them. Learn more about Operation Predator.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.