KENNEWICK (WA)
Tri-City Herald [Kennewick WA]
April 7, 2026
By Cameron Probert
Bail was set at $250,000 on Tuesday for a Tri-Cities paraeducator accused of using AI to turn images of a girl he “friended” on Facebook into sexually explicit videos and photos. Kevin R. Johnson, 54, who is also a pastor at a local church, was arrested Monday by federal agents outside Cottonwood Elementary School in Kennewick where he worked.
Tuesday afternoon he made an initial court appearance by video link from the Benton County jail, where he is being held on suspicion of possessing and dealing in child pornography. Formal charges have not been filed.
He is suspected of downloading pictures of the girl posted on Facebook and Instagram, then altering them with artificial intelligence software. The girl lives in another state, said investigators.
Deputy Prosecutor Chelsea Parker asked for the high bail amount, saying, “The state is very concerned about his employment, seemingly choosing employment that gives him access to children.”
Judge Jackie Shea-Brown agreed to $250,000 because of the seriousness of the allegations.
A state database on public school employees shows Johnson worked as an aid for the Kennewick district at Chinook Middle School during the 2023-24 school year.
Then, the Pasco School District said Johnson worked at McClintock STEM Elementary between August 2024 and June 2025.
Starting in August 2025, he worked as a paraeducator at Cottonwood Elementary school. The Kennewick School District said in a statement that no students at that school were involved in the allegations. “
The principal contacted families of students in the directly affected classroom,” the district said in a statement. “The employee has been placed on leave and removed from all school duties.”
Johnson was a lead pastor with Impact Church of Pasco since July 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile. The church has not made a statement about his arrest.
His LinkedIn profile shows he also taught at Vacaville Christian Schools in California starting in the 2022-23 school year before coming to the Tri-Cities.
Public documents show that he had previous ties to pastor associations and is married to a Pasco teacher.
AI-generated child pornography
Court documents claim Johnson allegedly uploaded 21 files to his Google Drive on Feb. 13 that Google flagged as sexually explicit pictures and videos that involved children. Johnson allegedly used his own email address and personal information to use the account.
The videos and photos allegedly showed a girl undressing or engaged in sexual acts. It appeared he used a real photo and was manipulated by artificial intelligence so it was sexual in nature, said investigators.
Court documents are not clear if all the images and video involved the same girl.
A detective recognized some of the pictures as being from Instagram, and with the help of a Homeland Security Investigations analyst they were able to find the girl pictured.
Detectives discovered the pictures had been taken from her parents Instagram and Facebook accounts. He often cropped out other children before using AI software on the images.
It’s not clear what Johnson’s connection was to the family, but the girl had accepted him as a “friend” on Facebook.