“Nothing he Says is Going to Help him:” Man Travels from Inverness to Alachua County in Child Predator Sting
On July 31, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) deputies arrested Christopher Lamar Johnson, 33, after he was caught in their child predator sting dubbed “Operation Firewall.” Johnson is one of 16 men who ACSO arrested in the sting.
Around 3:00 p.m., the same day of his arrest, Johnson went on the Skipthegames application and began engaged in an illicit conversation with an undercover (UC) detective who identified themselves as a 14-year-old girl.
After learning UC’s age, Johnson told her he was interested “head and creampie” and that he’d pay for sex. Johnson told UC he wanted to watch her “finger herself” and wear easily removable clothing so he could see nothing “but skin.”
Johnson went on to coordinate a meeting with UC at a gas station in Alachua County and drove there from Inverness. He was apprehended after arriving on scene. Two guns were located in his vehicle.
Johnson spoke to police in an interview which is summarized by Deputy Anthony Wenk:
“[Johnson] was informed of his constitutional rights via a prepared text and agreed to speak with law enforcement about this incident. He stated that he was aware that the account he was arranging to meet stated that they were 14 several times but that he did not believe it to be true. He did not deny offering to pay for unprotected sex with the individual, and stated that the reason he travelled for over an hour was because he believed he was going to be robbed and was curious to see If the account was who they said they were. He confirmed he brought a firearm with him and stated that he did not bring the money. He was unable to explain why he still travelled to the meeting place if he genuinely thought it was a set up for a robbery. He verified that the messages were to him, but that he also used a fake picture while chatting with the UC account. When [Johnson] was told it appeared that he travelled to the location with the intention of having unprotected sex with a 14 year old girl and lied about paying her and possibly threatening her with a gun, he stated that he could understand how it looks and that nothing he says is going to help him. He did not deny that having sexual conversations with a 14 year old was wrong.”
Johnson faces charges of attempted human trafficking, online child solicitation, traveling to meet a child after online solicitation, harmfully/explicitly communicating with a minor, using a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony and displaying a firearm during a felony. He could be sentenced to several decades in prison if found guilty.
Prosecutors filed a successful pretrial detention motion against Johnson and he is held in jail without bond.
