September 8, 2011

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- John Eric Barnes, 40, of Knoxville, Tenn., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee, by the Honorable Thomas W. Phillips, U.S. District Judge, to serve 132 months in prison. The sentence was imposed as the result of a guilty plea entered by Barnes on April 18, 2011, to a federal information charging him with knowingly receiving child pornography that had been transported in interstate and foreign commerce by any means, including by computer. The Court also imposed a term of 10 years supervised release upon his release from prison and required Barnes to participate in a program of sex offender mental health treatment.

Also, as a result of the conviction, the federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act will require Barnes to register with th state sex offender registry anywhere he resides, is employed, or is a student following his incarceration.

U.S. Attorney Bill Killian said, "This sentence sends a message to anyone who participates in the illegal child pornography arena that the punishment you will receive will and should be severe."

This conviction is the result of an investigation conducted by the Knoxville Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Morris represented the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a Department initiative launched in 2006 that aims to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, tribal and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information visit ProjectSafeChildhood.gov.

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