Former Folsom Swim Coach Sentenced To 12 Years In Prison For Attempted Enticement Of A Minor

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Eric Johnston, 23, of Folsom, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Morrison C. England Jr. to 12 years in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor, United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner announced.

According to the plea agreements filed in the case, Johnston arranged to meet what he thought to be a 13-year-old at a hotel. Johnston was arrested when he arrived at the designated meeting. Following his arrest, Johnston allowed law enforcement to assume his identity and they then sent a message to Nicholas Perry telling him that he was at the hotel. Perry arrived approximately 45 minutes later and was arrested. Both defendants have been in federal custody since their arrest.

Subsequent investigation identified a minor with whom Johnston was engaged in a sexual relationship. Johnston was sentenced in Sacramento Superior Court based on that conduct to two years in prison to be served concurrently with his federal sentence. The Sacramento case number is 12F04917.

Perry is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge England on April 3, 2014. He faces a statutory penalty of 10 years to life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

This case was investigated by the Sacramento Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a federally and state-funded task force managed by the Sacramento Sheriff’s Department with agents from federal, state, and local agencies. The Sacramento ICAC investigates online child exploitation crimes, including child pornography, enticement, and sex trafficking. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Reardon is prosecuting the case.