Dickinson resident Scott Howard Johnson, 39, has been arrested and is facing both state and federal charges related to especially heinous child sex crimes. The charges came to light during an investigation into a theft at the fast-food restaurant, Dairy Queen, where Johnson worked as a manager.
The Dickinson Police Department launched an investigation into the report of a purse theft at the Dairy Queen on March 17, leading them to identify Johnson as the primary suspect. As a result, he was initially charged with Theft of Lost or Mislaid Property and Tampering with a Witness. During the investigation, Detective Samantha Okke, of the Dickinson Police Department, made a shocking discovery on Johnson’s iPhone when she uncovered explicit images of a minor victim.
Within a Photo Vault app on Johnson’s phone, Okke found over 100 photos and 26 videos showing Johnson engaged in various sexual acts with the minor victim, including intercourse. Furthermore, the metadata associated with the images revealed that many were taken near Johnson’s family residence in Dickinson. Another folder labeled “SpyCam” contained nine videos featuring the victim, while a separate folder called “Mmm” contained 42 photos of prepubescent girls engaged in sexual acts.
According to police, Johnson confessed to creating illicit imagery of the victim, stating that this had taken place from around the time she was 12 or 13 years old until she turned 18. He admitted that these images were produced at his residence, with some produced in a hotel room in Montana. The investigation was supported by an affidavit filed by a U.S. Homeland Security investigator assigned to the North Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The investigator stated that Johnson used a cellphone and a concealed camera within a Bluetooth speaker to capture the explicit imagery.
The victim, speaking with Okke, said that Johnson had been sexually and physically abusive toward her since she was approximately 8 years old, continuing until she turned 18.
As a result of the investigation, Johnson has been charged with two federal crimes: Possession of Materials Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of Minors and Production of the same. These charges violate Sections of the 18 US Code, respectively. The latter charge carries a potential sentence of more than 30 years in prison. In addition, Johnson faces charges in Stark County for Gross Sexual Imposition and Continuous Sexual Abuse of a Minor. Both of these charges are class AA felonies under the North Dakota Century Code.
Johnson is currently being held in custody at the Southwest Multi-County Correctional Center in Dickinson, on a hold by the U.S. Marshals Service.