Towson Man Sentenced in Child Pornography Case

A Towson man was sentenced to nearly four years in jail Wednesday for possession of child pornography after officials said he posed as a 15-year-old boy online and encouraged girls to send him their nude photos.

Nicholas Haxall Johnson, 24, entered a guilty plea after police found more than 250,000 pornographic images on his laptop and external hard drive, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.

A Baltimore County police officer online saw that Johnson had 150 files available for download, many containing child pornography, the statement said.

After obtaining a warrant to search his residence, authorities said detectives found thousands of sexually explicit images involving minors on Johnson’s laptop and external hard drive, according to the statement.

“Further investigation of Johnson’s computer revealed that he created an online persona of a 15-year-old male which he used to communicate with 13 and 14-year-old girls,” the statement said. “Johnson discussed sexual topics with the young girls and encouraged them to send him nude photos of themselves.”

Johnson lives in the 8300 block of Thornton Road in Thornleigh, online court records show. The FBI, Baltimore County Police Department and Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office partnered in the investigation.

At his home, officials said they also recovered hundreds of prescription pills, including Adderall and Ritalin (amphetamines), inside a safe; plus a glass pipe, three grinders and plastic baggies.

Johnson will serve 42 months in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland reported. In addition, he must register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works and studies.

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.