Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Pornography

ORLANDO—Acting United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Jeffrey Alan Barnett (46, Orlando) today pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Barnett faces a mandatory minimum of not less than five years, up to 20 years in federal prison for each distribution count, and a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison for the possession count. Sentencing has been set for December 19, 2013. Barnett was indicted on April 17, 2013.

According to court documents, Barnett used a peer-to-peer filing sharing program to distribute child pornography to an undercover federal task force agent on three separate occasions. On March 21, 2013, a federal search warrant was executed at Barnett’s residence. During the execution of that search warrant, investigators found a computer located in Barnett’s bedroom that contained child pornography. Barnett was interviewed and admitted, among other things, that the computer belonged to him and that he had been using a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download and trade child pornography. He was arrested on the same date.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg.

It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.