Athens man faces federal sentence for directing child abuse online

ATHENS, Ga. - A Georgia man who admitted to directing the sexual abuse of a young girl over social media has been sentenced to more than 21 years in federal prison.

What we know:

U.S. District Judge Tilman E. "Tripp" Self, III, sentenced 33-year-old William Barnett II of Athens to 262 months in prison, followed by ten years of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system.

Barnett pleaded guilty on Aug. 4 to one count of conspiracy to sexually exploit a child. Prosecutors said his arrest came after investigators uncovered explicit instructions he sent for the abuse of a female child and his involvement in sharing child sexual abuse material.

What they're saying:

"Our office is unwavering in the pursuit of justice on behalf of children who are sexually abused and exploited," U.S. Attorney William R. "Will" Keyes said. "We are working with law enforcement at every level to safeguard children and ensure that predators are held responsible."

Homeland Security Investigations said Barnett’s actions were discovered as agents examined content shared through the Mega app. "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," said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta. "This investigation underscores our commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals and pursuing justice for those who seek to exploit and harm children."

Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters said the case highlights the importance of coordinated investigations. "Cases like these exemplify the value of partnerships between local, state and federal agencies," Saulters said. "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."

The backstory:

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department played a key role after identifying another suspect, Chris Adam Valentine, during a related 2024 investigation involving child sexual abuse material. Detectives found a chat thread between Valentine and Barnett from 2022 and 2023 in which Barnett used the name "Will." Valentine sent numerous images and videos of child sexual abuse to Barnett, including footage of young girls between six and ten years old and another victim between five and ten years old. On Aug. 22, 2022, Valentine sent an image of a child being sexually assaulted. Barnett replied with explicit directions for further abuse. Valentine responded "OK" and sent two additional images showing the child being abused according to those instructions.

Investigators executed a search warrant at Barnett’s home on April 3, 2024, where they found eight cellphones. Two contained child sexual abuse material. One device held 54 images and three videos of prepubescent minors and toddlers being assaulted by adults. Many of the files were found on the Kik and Mega apps. Agents said Barnett had active conversations across multiple platforms discussing the exchange of child exploitation material.