New Orleans teacher charged with sex trafficking of 16-year-old girl

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A New Orleans schoolteacher has been arrested and charged with sex trafficking of a teenage girl. Investigators are hoping to identify potential victims who may have been involved.

The Department of Homeland Security reports 36-year-old Aaron Johnson, of New Orleans, is accused of coercing the 16-year-old girl to travel from Vicksburg, Mississippi to Louisiana to engage in commercial sex.

Court documents state that on the evening of March 14, Johnson and the teenager exchanged messages via Facebook in which he allegedly told her he would pick her up near a hotel in Vicksburg.

Cameras also reportedly confirmed Johnson’s vehicle was seen on Interstate 55 at the Louisiana and Mississippi state line after 12 a.m. and that his vehicle was shown parked outside his New Orleans apartment at 5:10 a.m. on March 15.

Court documents state the victim told a deputy U.S. Marshal that she informed “the teacher” that she was a runaway. The documents also allege that an Apple Cash account linked to Johnson sent $200 to the victim.

According to the department, Johnson has been a teacher in New Orleans since 2023. The name of the school has not been released. However, court documents indicate that his car was seen outside of a high school in New Orleans East during the course of the investigation.

Investigators are trying to identify other victims that Johnson may have exploited.

Anyone with information about the case can submit a tip at 877-4-HSI-TIP or via email at HSINewOrleansTips@hsi.dhs.gov.