A federal jury in Salt Lake City has convicted Brent Richard Johnson, 51, of Cedar Hills, Utah, on charges related to child sexual abuse and the production and possession of child pornography. Johnson was indicted on November 20, 2024.
Court documents and trial evidence revealed that between August and November 2013, Johnson used his iPhone to record himself sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl while she was sleeping. Law enforcement discovered the videos in 2024 during a search of Johnson’s residence. The recordings were found on an iPhone backup stored on his computer. Authorities also located a USB charging box disguised as a camera in a bathroom.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson, Jr., at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City.
Acting United States Attorney Felice John Viti for the District of Utah announced the verdict.
The investigation involved cooperation among the American Fork Police Department, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carol A. Dain and Joey L. Branch are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse by coordinating federal, state, and local efforts to locate offenders and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
