Athens man pleads guilty to sexually exploiting a child online

ATLANTA - An Athens man faces 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually exploiting a child by sending explicit messages about abusing a young girl, according to federal prosecutors.

What we know:

The U.S. District Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia said William Barnett, II, 33, of Athens, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to sexually exploit a child on Monday.

Officials said the case began in February 2024 when Homeland Security Investigation Atlanta’s Child Exploitation and Cyber Investigations Group launched an investigation into child sexual abuse material being shared on the file-sharing and social media platform Mega.

The backstory:

During the investigation, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department identified Chris Adam Valentine as a suspect, according to prosecutors. While investigating offenses committed by Valentine against four children, investigators uncovered chat logs between Valentine and Barnett, exchanged between 2022 and 2023.

According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Barnett used a pseudonym in conversations, but eventually revealed that his real name was Will. Valentine shared numerous child sexual abuse material files with Barnett, including a video showing the sexual assault of a girl between 6 and 10 years old. Barnett, in turn, shared a video showing an adult man sexually abusing a girl estimated to be between 5 and 10 years old.

On August 22, 2022, prosecutors said Valentine sent Barnett an image of a female child being sexually assaulted. Barnett responded with explicit instructions for further abuse. Valentine replied "OK" and later sent two additional images showing the child being abused according to Barnett’s directions.

Authorities said they obtained and executed a search warrant at Barnett’s home on April 3, 2024. He wasn't there at the time, but Barnett was located nearby and arrested.

Federal agents said they seized eight cellphones during the search. Two of the devices contained CSAM, including one with 54 images and three videos showing the sexual abuse of prepubescent minors and toddlers.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations Atlanta’s CECIG and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department.

What they're saying:

"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. "This case exemplifies the strong partnership between law enforcement in the Middle District of Georgia as we take decisive action to protect children from predators and ensure offenders are held accountable."

"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, the Special Agent in Charge of HSI Atlanta, which covers Georgia and Alabama. "This investigation underscores our commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals and pursuing justice for those who seek to exploit and harm children."

What's next:

Barnett faces a minimum of 15 years in prison, according to prosecutors, but could spend 30 years behind bars.