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Lasall Johnson, 55, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography in March and was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Thursday, June 6, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He will serve five years of probation after he is released.
Investigators arrested Johnson after agents traced his IP address from a peer-to-peer file-sharing site where large amounts of child sexual abuse material were exchanged, the prosecutor said. From June 2021 until April 2022, agents saw Johnson share files 85 times.
Officers found nearly 350 images and videos featuring children being sexually abused in the bedroom Johnson was renting, authorities said. The files were stored on two thumb drives, a tablet, and three other electronic devices.
Acting US Attorney Joshua S. Levy said these images and videos perpetuate have long-lasting and damaging impacts on the victims' lives.
Mr. Johnson’s incredibly dangerous predatory actions perpetuated the exploitation and abuse of the most vulnerable members of our society. The sentence imposed not only removes a threat from our communities but also sends a clear and unequivocal message to other potential offenders that possessing child sexual abuse material comes with grave and severe consequences. Possessing child pornography is far from a victimless crime. Each image and video represents a real child who has been horrifically victimized, and finishing and distributing this material contributes to a cycle of abuse that leaves lasting scars on victims.
Johnson was convicted in 1989 of two counts of assault to rape in Norfolk County and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, federal prosecutors said. However, he spent two years behind bars, and the remainder of his sentence was suspended.
He is a level-2 registered sex offender from that conviction.
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