HARRISON — Paul Ignacio Johnson was arrested on July 4, at his home in Harrison, following a multi-day online predator investigation. Johnson faces several felony charges, including accosting children for immoral purposes and two computer-related felonies.
The investigation began after the citizen-led organization Pred Task Force contacted the Clare County Sheriff’s Office. The group had been communicating with Johnson online, where deputies say he sent nude photographs to a decoy he believed to be a 14-year-old juvenile male and attempted to arrange an in-person meeting for sexual intercourse. Johnson had been paroled in April 2026 after serving over a decade in prison for a 2013 conviction of child sexually abusive activity, with his supervision conditions prohibiting internet access and contact with minors.
Based on the interview and evidence gathered, Johnson was placed under arrest.
Johnson was lodged in the Clare County Jail and arraigned in the 80th District Court. His bond was set at $200,000 cash or surety and he remains in custody. The charges include one count of Computers: Communicating with Another to Commit a Crime, one count of Accosting Children for Immoral Purposes and one count of Computers: Using a Computer to Commit a Crime.
The Clare County Sheriff’s Office states that this case remains under investigation and additional charges may be forthcoming.
