HARRISON, MI —

A man was arrested in California and extradited to Michigan to face charges stemming from a sexual assault of a 4-year-old boy in Harrison, according to Michigan State Police at the Mount Pleasant Post.

The investigation of suspect Paul Ignacio Johnson

began in July 2012 when agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security notified detectives at the Michigan State Police detectives about the possibility that the suspect was molesting a 4-year-old boy in Harrison.

Detectives learned that Johnson had left the state and t

hrough a joint investigation with the Michigan State Police, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Escondido, Calif., Police Department, Johnson was located in the city of Escondido.

In February 2013, homeland security agents and Escondido police detectives made contact with Johnson and located child sexually abusive images on his computer, according to the Michigan State Police.

Johnson was arrested in on charges of possession of child abusive materials and subsequently convicted in California on charges related to the arrest, police said.

On March 26, the 80th District Court of Clare County issued an arrest warrant for Johnson, charging him with one count of CSC first degree and one count of CSC second degree.

Johnson was extradited to Michigan and arrived in the Clare County Jail on May 15.

On May 16th, Johnson was arraigned in the 80th District Court of Clare County on charges of CSC 1st Degree and CSC 2nd Degree. He remains jailed with bond set at $500,000.

Brad Devereaux Email | Facebook | Twitter | 989-372-2442