Robert Barbetti, Production of Child Pornography, South Dakota 2026

A Yankton man has been sentenced to 45 years in federal prison for producing child pornography, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Robert Barbetti, 34, was sentenced on July 6, 2026, to 45 years in federal prison, 8 years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.

Barbetti must also register as a sex offender once released from federal prison.

The conviction stems from an investigation into several cyber tips, which led to the discovery that between 2018 and 2023, Barbetti had been using various online social media platforms, including SnapChat and Wink, to target minor children and coerce them into producing child sexual exploitation materials.

Barbetti's criminal conduct included coercing a juvenile male living in Texas to perform sexual acts on his own prepubescent brother, record the sexual acts, and send them to Barbetti over the internet. Barbetti's criminal conduct also included persuading a minor female living in Virginia to produce videos of herself naked from the waist down while committing indecent acts.

'This Administration has no higher priority than protecting innocent children,' said U.S. Attorney Parsons.

This case was investigated by the FBI, DCI, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Barbetti was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr/yankton-man-sentenced-45-years-federal-prison-production-child-pornography