Attorney General Lynn Fitch's Cyber Crime Division secured a conviction of Colby Johnson. Johnson is the second person convicted of child exploitation since General Fitch took office. The 23-year-old from Bay St. Louis entered an open plea - which is pleading guilty without an agreement regarding punishment - on February 10 to one count of Child Exploitation. His sentencing is June 15, and he is facing up to 40 years in prison. "One of my priorities as Attorney General is to protect the most vulnerable citizens in our state," said General Fitch. "And our children are at the top of that list. I am grateful to the men and women in law enforcement and the prosecutors who work to protect our precious children from predators who seek to exploit them." Johnson was arrested on October 22, 2018, as a part of "Operation Trick or Treat" by the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The investigation found he used a social media account to send child sexual abuse images over the Internet. After his arrest, Johnson confirmed he owned the device used to transmit the images. He also admitted to possessing and transmitting child pornography. He was one of eight people arrested concerning that operation.
