Boy Scouts assistant troop leader arrested for child pornography

DAYTON, Ohio — A West Carrollton man was in federal custody Friday following his arrest on charges of possession and distribution of child pornography. The arrest follows an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Greater Cincinnati Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the West Carrollton Police Department.

Alan Johnson, 23, made his initial appearance in federal court Friday afternoon to answer to the charges. He was ordered held pending a detention hearing scheduled for a later date.

HSI special agents arrested Johnson at his home late Thursday without incident following a search warrant where special agents located and seized multiple computers and electronic media. A forensics preview of one of the computers in Johnson's possession revealed images of child pornography.

From 2009 to 2013, Johnson served as a health officer for the Boy Scouts of America. He currently serves as an assistant troop leader for the Boy Scouts of America, and is also employed as an emergency medical technician for EMT Inc.

A criminal complaint contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

HSI requests anyone with information about Johnson immediately contact the agency in one of two ways:

• Call the HSI Tip Line at 1-866-347-2423; or
• Submit a tip online at www.ICE.gov/tips.

Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. All tips will remain anonymous.

This investigation was conducted under HSI's Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2013, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.