ATLANTA — William Barnett II, 33, from Athens, Georgia, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and faces up to 30 years in prison.
Barnett admitted to sending explicit instructions for the abuse of a young girl over social media. He pleaded guilty before a U.S. District Judge on August 4 and now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, followed by a minimum of five years up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine.
‘The sexual exploitation and abuse of children is intolerable, and our office is relentless in the pursuit of justice on behalf of the most vulnerable victims,’ said U.S. Attorney William R. ‘Will’ Keyes.
Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta, stated, ‘Thanks to the diligent efforts of Homeland Security Investigations and its law enforcement partners, this predator will now spend time behind bars for his appalling actions.’
[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters emphasized, ‘These heinous crimes will not be tolerated in our community. We will continue to work with our partners to protect the children of this community and will pursue those who prey on them.’
According to court documents, the investigation began in February 2024 when Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta’s Child Exploitation and Cyber Investigations Group (CECIG) was looking into child sexual abuse material being shared on the platform Mega.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department identified Chris Adam Valentine as a suspect during their investigation into hands-on offenses against four minor children.
Agents discovered a chat thread between Valentine and Barnett, where Barnett used a pseudonym and received numerous images of child sexual abuse material, including videos depicting the sexual assault of young girls.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Judge Hatchett ordered to pay attorney fees after dropping lawsuit against former sheriff
- See the top 25 public elementary schools in Georgia
- 47 arrested, $2.3 million in drugs seized during operation in middle Georgia
A search warrant was executed at Barnett’s home on April 3, 2024, leading to the seizure of eight cellphones, two of which contained child sexual abuse material.
Barnett’s conviction highlights the ongoing efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat child exploitation and hold offenders accountable for their actions.
[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]