Andrew Johnson, a Jan. 6 defendant who received a presidential pardon, is due to stand trial on child molestation charges after his July arrest. Court documents allege he abused a victim for months beginning in 2024 and attempted to silence the victim by offering money and claiming a $10 million payout tied to his pardon. Johnson previously pleaded guilty to federal Jan. 6 charges and was sentenced to one year in prison before the pardon erased that conviction. He has pleaded not guilty in the Florida case and remains in custody pending trial.
Pardoned Jan. 6 Rioter Andrew Johnson To Face Child Molestation Trial On Feb. 9
Pardoned Jan. 6 rioter to face criminal trial for child molestation
Andrew Johnson, a Jan. 6 defendant who received a presidential pardon, is scheduled to stand trial on child molestation charges after his July arrest, prosecutors and court records say. Johnson remains in custody ahead of a trial set for Feb. 9.
Details Of The Allegations
According to court filings reviewed by CBS News, prosecutors allege Johnson sexually abused a victim over the course of several months beginning in 2024 in Hernando County, Florida. A police affidavit says Johnson tried to buy the victim's silence, allegedly telling the victim he had been "pardoned for storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021," that he was being awarded $10 million as a result of being a "Jan 6er," and that he "would be putting (the victim) in his will to take any money he had left over."
"Pardoned for storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021, and he was being awarded $10 million as a result of being a 'Jan 6er.'"
Pardon, Prior Conviction And Sentencing
Johnson, 44, previously pleaded guilty to four federal charges related to his conduct during the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. In August 2024 a judge sentenced him to one year in prison for those offenses. A presidential pardon issued by former President Donald Trump later wiped away that conviction and the remainder of his sentence.
Pretrial Status And Prosecutor Statement
Police records from July 2025 describe Johnson as "transient," and indicate he may have been sleeping in a bed in the back of a van he was driving. Johnson has pleaded not guilty to the Florida molestation charges.
A spokesman for the Hernando County state prosecutor told CBS News: "Any case that involves the exploitation and molestation of minors is of the utmost importance. Defendants who commit these crimes deserve to be punished with the full weight of the criminal justice system." The spokesman added that, if released before trial, Johnson would be subject to GPS monitoring and required to appear in person for all court dates.
Other Post-Pardon Cases
Johnson is the latest of several Jan. 6 defendants pardoned by the president who have since faced new criminal charges. Examples cited by prosecutors and reporters include:
- Zachary Alam — convicted Capitol rioter released after pardons; later arrested and convicted on a breaking-and-entering charge near Richmond, Virginia.
- Christopher Moynihan — arrested on an allegation of threatening to kill House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; has pleaded not guilty.
- John Banuelos — pardoned before trial on Jan. 6-related allegations; later arrested and held in Utah in connection with an unrelated kidnapping case after a DNA match.
Johnson's attorney has not responded to requests for comment. The state prosecutor declined further comment pending the outcome of the case.
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