MOAB, UTAH — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Utah), published as received.

MOAB, Utah – An Aneth man, with a criminal history of possessing child pornography, was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment. In April 2026, Johnston Blackhorse, 43, of Aneth, Utah, was convicted by a jury after he received and possessed child pornography, also known as child sex abuse material (CSAM). At the time of the offense, Blackhorse was already on supervised release for a 2015 conviction of possession of child pornography.

In addition to his term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen sentenced Blackhorse to a lifetime of supervised release.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in February 2025, while serving a lifetime of supervised release for prior child sex crimes, two probation officers conducted a home visit where Blackhorse lived alone. Pursuant to Blackhorse’s supervised release conditions, the officers conducted an examination of Blackhorse’s computer. Officers discovered that a forensic wiping program had been installed and used on the computer the day of the probation visit. Officers conducted a more thorough examination of the computer and located several files depicting child sexual abuse material in a deleted space. As a result, a search warrant was secured, and the computer was examined by a forensic examiner with Homeland Security Investigations. The examination revealed six images of CSAM all in a deleted space on the computer. An original file path also showed the file originally existed under Blackhorse’s username, in his Mozilla Firefox folders, and came from child pornography websites. Additional evidence also showed Blackhorse used the computer to access other child pornography files located on a separate electronic storage device that was not recovered during the search of his residence.

“My office is committed to protecting our communities, particularly our most vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “Blackhorse’s pattern of criminal behavior makes clear that he remains a dangerous offender with a significant likelihood of recidivism. This result reflects our trial team’s exceptional diligence, skill, and dedication to keeping children safe.”

“Let me be absolutely clear: Those who possess child sexual abuse material are not passive observers of a horrific crime. They are fueling an industry built on the exploitation, abuse, and suffering of innocent children,” said Homeland Security Investigations Denver Special Agent in Charge Charles Engle.  “Every image represents a child whose innocence was stolen, and every person who seeks out this material perpetuates that victimization.”

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher Burton and Joseph M. Hood of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.