CHICAGO — The grim details of Richard Barnett’s predatory behavior have come to a chilling end as the suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 34 years in federal prison for his despicable exploitation of multiple children.
Barnett, 46, from Aurora, Ill., enticed young girls as young as nine to send him explicit images under the guise of being a teen himself. The predator’s online requests escalated into demands, and he even threatened one girl with kidnap and murder if she didn’t comply. His reign of terror came to an end in 2017 when law enforcement finally apprehended him.
At a hearing on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey imposed the severe sentence, which will be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Chapman delivered a scathing argument against Barnett, emphasizing the enduring psychological damage inflicted upon his victims. “Barnett remorselessly used these girls as objects to be employed in furtherance of his sexual gratification, inflicting trauma that will forever impact his victims’ lives,” Chapman said.
Barnett’s conviction was the result of a collaborative effort between multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and local sheriff’s offices. Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, announced the sentence. The New Orleans, La., Buffalo, N.Y., Jacksonville, Fla., and Ouachita Parish, La. Sheriff’s Offices also played pivotal roles in bringing Barnett to justice.
Victims seeking support or reporting similar crimes are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at missingkids.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678, a service available 24/7.
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Key Facts
- State: Illinois
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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