Riverside
Thirty-year-old Matthew Johnson a counselor at La Sierra Academy in Riverside was found in possession of over 600 child pornography images and arrested on suspicion of sending and selling them—some of the images showed minors engaged in sex acts. Johnson was fired by the school’s administrators when it was discovered he’d allegedly recorded male students in a restroom on campus. Johnson’s behavior was discovered by the Fontana Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, that noticed him downloading and distributing child pornography via the internet. The Task Force executed a warrant at Johnson’s home where they found multiple electronic devices, evidence related to the download, and distribution of child pornography including images of prepubescent boys. A second warrant was executed at the school and officials seized evidence from Johnson’s office related to the charges. Although the investigation is in the early stages according to Fontana police officials there is currently no evidence that any of the recordings were made on campus and none of the boys in the videos have been identified. School officials are fully cooperating with police agencies involved in the investigation. La Sierra Academy has a total student enrollment of about 555 students. Its student population is 27 percent Hispanic, 17 percent White, 28 percent Asian and 10 percent Black.
Header Photo: Matthew Johnson