Former Waukesha Sex Offender Indicted on Child Pornography Production Charges

A 36-year-old former Waukesha man was indicted by a grand jury for three counts involving child pornography, including for accusations that he produced pornography.

Jermaine L. Johnson is indicted on two counts of production of child pornography from incidents involving two minor girls engaging in sexual acts in July 2009 and August 2011, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorney James L. Santelle. Johnson also is indicted with allegations of possessing child pornography in March 2012.

Johnson remains incarcerated, according to the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry. He was sentenced to six years of probation with one year of jail time for a second-degree sexual assault of a child conviction in Waukesha County.

From the news release:

If convicted of production of child pornography, as set forth in count one of the indictment, Johnson faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment. If convicted of production of child pornography, as set forth in count two of the indictment, Johnson faces a minimum of 25 years and a maximum of 50 years’ imprisonment. The charge of possession of child pornography carries a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment. The higher minimum mandatory term of imprisonment for counts two and three is the result of Johnson’s prior conviction in 2009, for second-degree sexual assault (State of Wisconsin v. Jermaine L. Johnson, Case No: 2009CF00966, Waukesha County)

This case was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Penelope L. Coblentz has been assigned to prosecute this case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.