Press release from the U.S. Attorney, Northern District of Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Trinity Joy Johnson, 26, admitted in federal court to charges involving the production, distribution and possession of child sexual abuse material. Her guilty plea covers two counts of producing child pornography, 15 counts of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography, according to John P. Heekin, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Heekin credited the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations with conducting the investigation that led to the prosecution. “My office was able to aggressively prosecute this defendant to ensure she is held fully accountable for her disgusting crimes victimizing an innocent child,” he said.
According to court records, Johnson used her cellphone to photograph a toddler in her care in a sexually explicit manner. She later shared those images, along with other child sexual abuse material, online with strangers while engaging in sexually explicit conversations. Investigators found more than 100 such files on her phone.
Each production charge carries a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in federal prison. The distribution counts carry penalties ranging from five to 20 years per count, while the possession charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced at 3 p.m. on November 23, 2026, at the U.S. Courthouse in Gainesville. Chief U.S. District Judge Allen C. Winsor will preside.
The investigation was conducted by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hapner is handling the prosecution.
The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, the program combines federal, state and local resources to identify and prosecute people who exploit children online while helping locate and protect victims. Additional information is available at Justice.gov/PSC.
