Jan. 6 rioter pardoned by Trump gets life in prison for kidnapping, raping two young children
(Andrew Paul Johnson gets life behind bars for multiple sex crimes against children)
(March 7, 2026) A Florida man who received a presidential pardon for his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol has now been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting two children.
Andrew Paul Johnson was sentenced this week by a judge in Florida’s Fifth Judicial Circuit after a jury found him guilty of multiple charges related to the abduction and sexual battery of two minors. Prosecutors said the crimes involved a young girl and a teenage boy. According to testimony presented during trial, the victims described being manipulated, restrained and repeatedly assaulted, with one victim telling the court the abuse left lasting emotional trauma and fear that “still follows me every day.”
Jurors convicted Johnson on counts that included kidnapping, sexual battery on a child and other related offenses. The judge imposed a life sentence, calling the crimes among the most disturbing presented in the courtroom.
Johnson had previously been convicted in connection with the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, where a mob of supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the building in an attempt to disrupt the certification of the 2020 presidential election. Court records show Johnson faced charges tied to his unlawful entry and participation in the riot, part of the sweeping federal investigation that led to hundreds of arrests.
He was later granted a presidential pardon by Trump for those offenses. However, the pardon applied only to the federal charges stemming from the Capitol attack and had no effect on the state criminal case that ultimately led to his life sentence.
During the Florida trial, prosecutors emphasized the victims’ courage in coming forward. One victim, the teenage boy, told jurors that Johnson used intimidation and manipulation to control him, while the younger female victim recounted being terrified during the ordeal. The jury deliberated before returning guilty verdicts on all major counts.
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Other January 6 Defendants Arrested This Week
Johnson’s sentencing comes as two other defendants connected to the Capitol riot were arrested in the Washington, D.C., area in unrelated incidents this week. Jake Lang, who had previously been charged with assaulting police officers with a baseball bat during the January 6 attack, was arrested after authorities said he made threats against a police officer who had also been among those defending the Capitol during the riot.
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In a separate case, Bryan Betancur—another January 6 defendant with an extensive criminal record—was arrested on new assault and battery charges. At the time of the Capitol riot, Betancur was already on probation and wearing a court-mandated GPS monitor for a prior burglary conviction. His latest arrest followed the circulation of videos that appeared to show him touching women’s hair while riding the Washington, D.C., Metro. Multiple women later accused Betancur of stalking them and posting harassing comments online.
The new criminal arrests highlight how those originally charged, convicted and sentenced in connection with the Capitol attack continue to face additional criminal allegations years after the riot – following the sweeping and controversial pardons made by Trump early in his second presidential term.
According to CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington), at least 33individuals who received pardons or commutations from Trump for their roles in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot have been rearrested, charged, or sentenced for other crimes since the insurrection.
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(Sources: Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, NBC News, Inquisitr/MSN, NPR)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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