Alachua woman charged with federal child pornography offenses

Staff report

ALACHUA, Fla. – Trinity Joy Johnson, 26, of Alachua, has been indicted in federal court for twenty-three counts of production, distribution, and possession of child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.

Johnson appeared in federal court for her arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for June 17, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.

Original arrest

Johnson was originally arrested on January 29 after a CyberTip was received about chats on X; the suspect account reportedly engaged in numerous chats that discussed sharing images and videos of children, and the suspect account, who claimed to be an adult female, frequently stated that she had no age limits. The account reportedly sent images and videos of child pornography, including at least two pictures of a preschool child that she identified as someone she had access to in real life. After Alachua County Sheriff’s Deputies determined that the posts came from Johnson, she was charged with 77 felonies related to possession and distribution of child pornography.

Offenses carry sentences of up to 30 years in prison

Johnson faces between 15 to 30 years’ imprisonment for the production of child pornography offenses; between 5 to 20 years’ imprisonment for the distribution of child pornography offenses; and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for possession of child pornography.

The case was jointly investigated by the Alachua County Sherriff’s Office, Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC), and Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.