'Hello Kitty' case used on Houston defense attorney's iPad containing child porn, prosecutors say

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Embattled defense attorney Jason Johnson faces a fourth felony after investigators accused him of knowingly bringing drug-laced papers to a client who was in jail.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, Johnson now faces a possession of child pornography charge.

During a search warrant execution related to the drug charges, investigators took an iPad from Johnson that prosecutors said contained disturbing, pornographic images of an underage family member.

SEE MORE: Defense attorney accused of slipping synthetic marijuana-laced paper to Harris Co. jail inmate

"This investigation, when it started, it was bad enough he was bringing contraband into the jail. We never imagined it would go down this dark path," Kimberly Smith of the Harris County District Attorney's Office said.

Prosecutors said Johnson had the iPad in a pink Hello Kitty case, which, they added, was a tactic to convince investigators it belonged to a child family member who took 22 photos and videos as a result of being a victim to online predators.

"It's always in his possession. He carries it with him everywhere. We believe he was trying to disguise this iPad to try and conceal evidence potentially," Smith said.

But Johnson's defense attorneys argue the iPad belongs to the child, claiming she's a victim of online predators.

"(The child) is the victim of an online predator. She was solicited by what the DA's office knows is a 42-year-old man who sent pornography to her, and she was manipulated into sending it back to him. The DA's office is trying to find out who that is, but they have done nothing to prosecute this man," defense attorney Vikram Vij said.

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The defense said not only whether the child pornography charges were bogus but the accusation that Johnson brought drug-laced papers into jail should be a massive concern to all lawyers.

"Attorneys bring things into clients; they have no idea what is on those papers. So because we are attorneys and we don't know what is going on with people in jail sneaking in drugs, and we simply hand our client papers, we are being prosecuted," defense attorney D'Angelo Lowe said.

ABC13 learned Johnson can and works as a defense attorney despite facing his fourth felony. He has bonded out of jail.

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