After conversing with the officer, Johnson offered to pay her for sex. He was taken into custody without incident.

Police found a baggie with about 6 grams of crack cocaine, $4,145 in cash and three cell phones inside the vehicle, along with Johnson’s 7-year-old son.

The mother of the child picked the child up.

Johnson faces charges of endangering the welfare of children, possession with intent to deliver, patronizing a prostitute and driving on a suspended license.

He is being held at the Allegheny County Jail on $10,000 bail.

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)