Santee Man Sentenced for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material on Dark Web

• •James David Johnson sentenced to over 12 years for distributing CSAM on the dark web.
• •FBI seized over 260,000 images and videos related to child sexual abuse from Johnson's devices.
• •Johnson provided advice to other offenders on evading law enforcement.

James David Johnson, a 58-year-old man from Santee, California, was sentenced to 151 months in prison for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over the dark web. He was part of at least five online communities focused on CSAM and provided advice to others on evading law enforcement. Johnson pleaded guilty to the charges in October 2025. The FBI seized over 260,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse from his devices during an investigation. The case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative aimed at combating child exploitation. Johnson's actions included becoming a high-ranking member of a dark web community that featured content depicting children in distress. He is also subject to 10 years of supervised release following his prison term.