Evergreen Park Man Sentenced For Sex Trafficking, Child Porn, Escape

CHICAGO — An Evergreen Park man was handed a 35-year sentence in a federal prison for sex trafficking seven women in the Chicago area, escaping custody while awaiting trial on those charges, and possessing child pornography.

Federal prosecutors said Brian Johnson, 59, used multiple aliases to pose as the male owner or female employee of an art gallery and film production company with purported connections to major magazines, overseas distributors and film producers.

Johnson allegedly recruited amateurs who wanted to start a career in artistic nude modeling and film. He enticed victims with false promises of full-time employment at a lucrative salary, professional connections and foreign travel by having women “audition,” federal prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, to get victims ready for the “audition,” prosecutors said Johnson plied the women with alcohol. During the audition, Johnson is said to have taken explicit photos and videos of the victims and had sex with them. Afterward, Johnson would claim that the distributor turned down the photos and videos and ordered a “re-shoot.” Johnson allegedly told the victims that they would have to partake in posing for photos and videos, and have sex with him again if they wanted to get paid. In reality, there was no gallery, film company or distributor.

When victims were reluctant to re-shoot the video, prosecutors said Johnson threatened to distribute their images, and did, in fact, distribute their images online. Johnson purportedly continued to harass the women, even years later, by sending them the explicit photos and reminding them of the ties to him. None of the victims ever received any money from Johnson.

Earlier this year, seven of Johnson’s victims testified during Johnson’s trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago before being convicted by a jury of sex trafficking and other offenses.

Johnson also pleaded guilty prior to trial to an escape charge for failing to return to a federal jail in Chicago after being granted a three-hour furlough to attend his mother’s visitation. After briefly attending his mother’s wake, the feds said Johnson returned to his home, packed a suitcase, and fled. Among the things Johnson grabbed were numerous images of is sex-trafficking victims, including images prosecutors said Johnson knew to be child pornography. The FBI found Johnson three days later in a restaurant at Midway Airport.

U.S. District Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer imposed the 35-year prison sentence on Monday in federal court in Chicago.