Central Ky. man sentenced to prison after using Snapchat to get explicit photos from teens
A man from Madison County was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday for production of child pornography, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Scotty Johnson, a 51-year-old Richmond resident, was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to production of child pornography in March 2021. Court documents say Johnson pretended to be a teenage female on Snapchat and used his Snapchat account to befriend multiple teenage boys, some of whom he knew in real life. Johnson then engaged in sexual online conversations with the boys.
Johnson communicated with over 1,000 different individuals on Snapchat, including several minor males, according to the DOJ.
One of the victims, a teenage male who Johnson knew, became suspicious of Johnson’s account and reported it to law enforcement, according to the DOJ. Authorities found persuading evidence when conducting their investigation, and Johnson admitted to the illegal activity.
“This case demonstrates the grave dangers that children face online, where predators can pretend to be anyone in order to target the most vulnerable among us,” said Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge at the FBI Louisville field office. “With this sentencing, we have removed a dangerous child predator from our community, and a clear message has been sent that those who seek to exploit children will be held accountable.”
Johnson is required to serve at least 85% — or 17 years — of his prison sentence, prosecutors say. Upon release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life, according to the DOJ.
The FBI, Kentucky State Police and the University of Kentucky Police Department conducted the investigation.
