Retired Customs and Border Protection Officer Detained on Child Pornography Charges

TUCSON, AZ—Tony Alan Barker, 58, of Sahuarita, Ariz., was detained today after a hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Hector Estrada in connection with child pornography charges. Barker, a retired Customs and Border Protection officer of 35 years out of Georgia, was indicted in September 2009, by a federal grand jury in Tucson for Attempted Distribution of Child Pornography and Possession of Child Pornography. He was detained as a danger to the community due to the nature of the charges and additional evidence provided by the government at this morning’s detention hearing.

The indictment alleges that Barker attempted to distribute videos containing child pornography on July 28, 2008, and possessed child pornography on two computers and in a stack of printed documents on August 22, 2008. A conviction for Attempted Distribution of Child Pornography carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine or both. A conviction for Possession of Child Pornography carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine or both.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.

An indictment is simply the method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation in this case was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Carin C. Duryée and Carmen Corbin, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, District of Arizona, Tucson.

CASE NUMBER: CR-09-2077-DCB-HCE

RELEASE NUMBER: 2009-316(Barker)