WASHINGTON (AP) — A Florida handyman convicted of the Jan. 6, 2021 storming of the Capitol but pardoned by President Donald Trump was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for molesting two children.
Andrew Paul Johnson, 45, was one of several defendants charged with new crimes on Jan. 6 since Trump adopted sweeping clemency against the Capitol rioters. On his first day back in the White House last year, Trump pardoned, commuted or ordered the dismissal of the cases of all more than 1,500 people charged in the attacks.
Johnson was convicted last month of two counts of child molestation and one count of electronic transmission of material harmful to minors, according to prosecutors in Hernando County, Florida. County Circuit Judge Stephen Toner sentenced Johnson to life in prison.
Sheriff’s deputies began investigating child molestation allegations against Johnson in July 2025. One of his victims told investigators that the abuse began around April 2024, months before Johnson was sentenced on Capitol riot charges.
According to the Sheriff’s Office report, Johnson told one victim that he wanted to be compensated as a defendant who was pardoned on Jan. 6 and would put the children in his will to inherit any remaining money.
“It is believed this tactic was designed to prevent (the child) from revealing what Andrew had done,” the report said.
Investigators discovered Johnson exchanged sexually explicit messages with one of the victims on the Discord messaging app, according to the office of 5th Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson.
“In the messages, Johnson attempted to get the victim to download another app to have a more private conversation and encouraged the victim to subsequently delete the messages,” Gladson’s office said in a release.
Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court in Washington sentenced Johnson to one year in prison in August 2024 after he pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges stemming from the riot. Johnson had asked to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming he was forced to do so, but the judge rejected his request before sentencing.
Johnson, who is from Seffner, Florida, walked toward the Capitol with a bullhorn in hand after attending Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally near the White House. He entered the building through an office window, which other rioters had smashed, according to federal prosecutors. Prosecutors said Johnson cursed and yelled at police after they used tear gas to disperse a mob of Trump supporters.
