A Roanoke man has been sentenced to 40 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual exploitation material. Christopher Allan Johnson, 55, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of possessing such materials involving a prepubescent minor.
According to court documents, on October 10, 2024, after leaving the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salem, Virginia, Johnson used the Kik social media app to join a public group focused on incest. An undercover FBI task force officer contacted him through this group. During their conversation, Johnson discussed his sexual fantasies involving children.
The following day, Johnson sent three videos depicting graphic sexual exploitation of children to the undercover officer. At least one video involved a prepubescent minor.
Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci commented on the case: “The threat from online predators is real and remains a key enforcement priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia and our law enforcement partners,” Tracci said. “I am thankful to the FBI for their diligent work in this case to identify a real threat and bring justice to help protect our children.”
Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, stated: “Today’s sentencing takes one more criminal offline, but we know this epidemic of child exploitation is far from over. The FBI will continue fighting every day to protect our children from predators like Mr. Johnson.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation into this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Inman prosecuted it for the United States.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in 2006 that coordinates efforts among federal, state, and local agencies to combat child exploitation and abuse. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
