A Kern County Jury found Joshua Johnson guilty in a case involving an undercover law enforcement operation that targeted internet crimes against minors. Johnson was convicted of Attempting to Contact a Minor for a Sexual Purpose and of Attempting to Meet a Minor for a Sexual Purpose.
The case was prosecuted by Deputy DA Christine Antonios.
On August 12, 2023, Law Enforcement executed a multi-agency operation. The Law Enforcement Task Force employed undercover officers posing as minors in an effort to identify anyone who attempts to contact or meet with a minor for a sexual purpose. During that operation, Defendant Joshua Johnson, then 38-years-old, contacted the undercover officer online and solicited a sex act. Believing that the undercover officer was a minor, Defendant Johnson agreed to meet the minor, purchased condoms on his way to the meeting, and arrived at the arranged location where he was apprehended by law enforcement. Johnson was previously convicted of Statutory Rape in 2009 after he engaged in sexual intercourse with a fourteen-year-old victim.
DA Zimmer commented; “Undercover operations aimed at identifying individuals who pose a threat to children are a critical form of proactive policing. They make it possible to detect and stop potential perpetrators before they can harm an actual child. In cases like Johnson’s, where there is criminal history of targeting children, it is especially important to use every measure available to ensure that such offenses are addressed appropriately.”
A sentencing date is scheduled for May 20, 2026. Under California law, the charges carry a punishment of up to 4 years in prison