Pre-trial services in Dayton’s U.S. District Court had originally recommended Johnson be released on his own recognizance, but U.S. assistant district attorney Christy Muncy said that pre-trial services was not privy to other information. Muncy said Johnson had “hands-on offenses” with 8- and 9-year-old Boy Scouts.
That prompted federal public defender Thomas Anderson to ask for a full detention hearing. Anderson said Johnson’s grandparents had offered to house Johnson before the trial. At the end of the detention hearing, a representative from pre-trial services said Johnson should be kept incarcerated.
Officials said that Johnson was an assistant troop leader for the Boy Scouts of America and also was employed as an emergency medical technician for EMT Inc. Miami Valley Council Boy Scouts executive Doug Nelson said Johnson was removed from the ranks of leadership April 3.
Homeland Security urged anyone with information about Johnson to call an anonymous tip line at (866) 347-2423 or submit it at www.ICE.gov/tips.
Kearns said Johnson admitted to using the “ilovethis” moniker since Nov. 12, 2012 and sharing child pornography on a peer-to-peer online network. That information came from a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) probe that began in the Wilmington, Del. office in September 2013. The agent said the agency downloaded 24 photos which depicted children in sexual positions and activity.
The investigation led to the April 3 federal search warrant of Johnson’s residence on Grantwood Drive in West Carrollton. Kearns said there were about 11 law enforcement members from HSI, the U.S. Secret Service, the Cincinnati Internet Crimes against Children task force and West Carrollton police dept.
Under cross examination, Kearns testified that Johnson voluntarily talked to law enforcement from 7:15 a.m. April 3 until riding to the West Carrollton police station at about 10 a.m. Kearns said he watched via closed-circuit television as a Secret Service agent interviewed Johnson for three more hours, but that the discussion was not recorded.
Kearns said Johnson was given his Miranda rights before the polygraph machine was hooked up, but that Johnson was free to go at any time and never asked for an attorney. The agent said that Johnson was given a ride home and then later arrested at his residence.
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