NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A 38-year-old illegal immigrant from the Bahamas was sentenced to 27 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting an 11-year-old child for whom he served as a primary caregiver, the Department of Justice announced.
Rian Wayne Johnson recorded himself engaging in sexual acts with the victim and stored the recordings on his cellphone, according to court documents filed in the Eastern District of Virginia under Case No. 4:25-cr-59. The abuse lasted from at least May 30, 2025, to July 15, 2025, when Newport News Police officers responded to a report of suspected child sexual abuse and found Johnson with the victim at the home.
Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C., led the federal investigation with assistance from the Newport News Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa R. McKeel prosecuted the case.
The prosecution was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
Court documents and case filings are available through the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the federal PACER system.