Johnston Gets 6.5 Years for Border Child Sex Attempt

SEATTLE, WA – CHRISTOPHER DAVID JOHNSTON, 40, of Ferndale, Washington, is headed to federal prison for six and a half years after a chilling attempt to cross the Canadian border to meet someone he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. U.S. Attorney Annette L. Hayes announced the sentencing today, detailing a case that exposed a predatory intent and a callous disregard for the law.

The scheme unraveled in May 2016, when JOHNSTON attempted to illegally cross the border near Sumas. He’d spent the preceding two weeks engaged in increasingly explicit online communications with an undercover agent from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigation (HSI), who was posing as a minor. JOHNSTON, brazenly seeking sexual gratification, requested explicit photos of the “girl” and arranged a meeting.

According to court records, JOHNSTON initiated the contact by posting an ad in the “casual encounters” section of Craigslist, using language that immediately flagged it as a potential solicitation of a minor. This wasn’t a fleeting thought; prosecutors emphasized that JOHNSTON was willing to go to extreme lengths, even with existing legal troubles. He was already facing charges in Whatcom County that would have prevented legal border crossing, but this didn’t deter him.

U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones, during sentencing, expressed deep concern about the connection between JOHNSTON’s drug addiction and his criminal behavior. “What concerns me is that your drug addiction puts you in a position to think this (criminal conduct) is o.k.,” Judge Jones stated. He also highlighted the potential devastation had the victim been real, emphasizing the “life-long and serious” damage that could have been inflicted.

Beyond the 6.5-year prison sentence, JOHNSTON will face a ten-year term of supervised release. Judge Jones also mandated both sex offender and drug treatment as part of his rehabilitation plan. Upon release, JOHNSTON will be required to register as a sex offender, a permanent marker of his crime.

The case was spearheaded by Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Hampton and investigated by HSI agents. This sentencing serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat of online predators and the relentless efforts of federal agencies to protect vulnerable children. It’s a grim testament to the dark underbelly of the internet and the lengths some will go to satisfy their depraved desires.