Northeast Georgia Resident Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting a Child

ATHENS, Ga. – A Georgia man who admitted to sexually exploiting a child by sending explicit instructions for the abuse of a young girl over social media is facing up to 30 years in prison for his crime.

William Barnett, II, 33, of Athens, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to sexually exploit a child before U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self, III, on Aug. 4. Barnett faces a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment to be followed by a minimum of five years up to a lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. In addition, Barnett will have to register as a sex offender upon release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system.

“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.”

“Cases like these exemplify the value of partnerships between local, state and federal agencies,” said Athens-Clarke County Police Chief Jerry Saulters. “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.”

According to court documents and statements referenced in court,   the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Atlanta’s Child Exploitation and Cyber Investigations Group (CECIG) was investigating a case in February 2024, involving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) being shared using the social media and file sharing platform Mega. As a part of that investigation, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) identified Chris Adam Valentine as the suspect. To learn more about Valentine’s case and subsequent federal prosecution and conviction, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/athens-man-sentenced-30-years-prison-sexually-exploiting-child.

During the ACCPD investigation into the hands-on offenses against four minor children, agents discovered a chat thread between Valentine and Barnett in 2022 and 2023; in the chat, Barnett stated he was using a pseudonym and that his name was actually “Will.” Throughout the chat, Valentine sent numerous images of CSAM to Barnett, including a video depicting the sexual assault of a girl between the ages of six and ten years old by an adult man. Other CSAM images were shared in this chat thread between Valentine and Barnett, including a video Barnett sent to Valentine of an adult man sexually assaulting a girl between the ages of five and ten years old. On Aug. 22, 2022, Valentine sent Barnett an image of a female child being sexually assaulted; Barnett responded to Valentine with specific instructions to further abuse the child. Valentine responded with “OK” and then sent two additional images of the same child being abused as Barnett instructed.

A search warrant was obtained and executed at Barnett’s residence on April 3, 2024. Barnett was not home at the time the warrant was executed but was soon located nearby and was arrested. Agents seized eight cellphones; two of the devices contained CSAM. One cellphone had 54 images and three videos of prepubescent minors and toddlers being sexually assaulted and abused by adults. Many of these files were in the Kik and the Mega social media apps. Agents located numerous chats across several platforms where Barnett was messaging with others regarding CSAM, both receiving and sending links with CSAM.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case was investigated by the HSI Atlanta’s Child Exploitation and Cyber Investigations Group (CECIG) and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Peach is prosecuting the case for the Government.