BROOKSVILLE, Fla. – A 19-year-old Brooksville man has been charged with possessing child pornography after an investigation that started in September of 2022.
According to deputies, on September 30, 2022, Hernando County Sheriff’s detectives received information regarding a 19-year-old Spring Hill man who was possibly involved in an online relationship with a 12-year-old female who lives in Louisiana.
The male reportedly planned to travel to Louisiana to engage in sexual activity with the child.
Detectives identified the 19-year-old male as Justin Barnes of Rockbay Road in Brooksville through investigation.
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Detectives contacted the victim’s mother and found that after the mother learned her daughter was involved in a long-distance online relationship with an adult male, the mother took the victim’s cell phone.
Upon searching the phone, the victim’s mother located screen-recorded videos and numerous nude images that had been exchanged between the victim and the suspect. The pair utilized an app called “Discord” to converse and exchange photos and videos.
During a forensic interview, the victim admitted to communicating and sharing nude photos/videos with Barnes, and to discussing plans to meet in the future.
The victim told detectives that Barnes believed she was 15-years-old.
In October of 2022, detectives made contact with Barnes at his grandmother’s residence on Rockbay Road.
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During the interview, Barnes admitted to communicating with the victim and exchanging nude photos and videos with her and said he knew the victim was under 18 years of age, adding that at times she looked no older than 11.
Detectives collected Barnes’ cell phone, and search warrants were obtained for the cell phone and both the suspect and victim’s Discord accounts.
A digital forensics examination was conducted on Barnes’ cell phone. The examination revealed 99 images and two videos. Two videos and 13 images contained possible child sexual abuse material.
Additionally, detectives located 9,586 messages between the suspect and the victim.
“Messages from the suspect to the victim included requests for nude photos, requests to make videos (if/when they actually met face-to-face), and statements regarding how he did not want to get a “16 or 17 year old” pregnant,” said HCSO.
On June 27, 2023, a judge signed a warrant for the arrest of Barnes, and on Wednesday, he was arrested.
Judge Bell set Barnes’ bond at $165,000 and ordered GPS tracking as a condition of the bond.
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