Arkansas man sentenced to more than 21 years in prison for producing child porn

An Arkansas man has been sentenced to more than 21 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release after pleading guilty to production of child pornography, according to a news release.

Mitchell Johnson, 44, of Searcy also must register as a sex offender, acting U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Harris said.

Officials said Johnson was indicted March 2, 2016, on one count of production of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Johnson pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography, and the other counts were dismissed, the release said.

In a Thursday hearing, U.S. District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr., found that Johnson “engaged in sexual contact with a minor,” the release said.

“What Johnson did to this innocent child is reprehensible and the sentence reflects the gravity of his actions,” Harris said.

The investigation into Johnson began in October 2015, officials said. An undercover investigator answered a Craigslist ad, then the investigator and Johnson corresponded on an instant-messaging app, according to the release.

Authorities said Johnson sent the investigator multiple images of child pornography

“Today’s sentence of 21 years is a strong reflection of our repulsion at Johnson’s actions in producing child pornography involving a child under the age of 12,” said Diane Upchurch, special agent in charge of the Little Rock field office of the FBI.

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