Jury convicts Cedar Rapids man in federal sex trafficking case

CEDAR RAPIDS — A federal jury has convicted a Cedar Rapids man of attempted sex trafficking and destroying evidence following a two-day trial in U.S. District Court.

According to trial evidence, Joshua Johnson, 50, responded to an ad on a website for prostitution in December 2023. He exchanged text messages with a person who said she was 13 years old, but actually was an undercover law enforcement officer.

Johnson, in the messages, described sexual acts with the person he thought was a minor and then traveled to Hiawatha to meet her. Instead, he met with officers there waiting for him. After an interview, he wiped his cellphone files in an attempt to delete the messages.

U.S. District Chief Judge C.J. Williams will sentence Johnson after a presentence report is completed. Johnson will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending sentencing.

He faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and possibly up to life in federal prison. He also faces a $500,000 fine, special assessments and a five-year term of supervised release following any prison term.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Hiawatha Police Department.

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