Former Berrien County employee pleads guilty to child sex crimes
Posted: Feb 27, 2023 2:12 PM EDT
BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. - A former Berrien County employee pleaded guilty to producing child pornography and criminal sexual conduct, according to the Berrien County Prosecutor's Office.
Joel Todd Johnson, of St. Joseph, pleaded guilty to the following:
- One count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under age 13
- One count of producing child pornography
- One count of embezzlement $1,000 to $20,000
Johnson is the former Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds for Berrien County.
He was arrested in July 2022 after an 11-year-old girl discovered Johnson's cell phone recording her undressing, according to reports.
Investigators found over 200 images of child pornography on Johnson's laptop, which included 23 images Johnson allegedly created himself, reports said.