Modus Operandi of a Child Predator
Jim Kouri, CPP
September 16, 2005
A 55-year old man, who sent sexually explicit images via the Internet to a person he thought was a 12-year-old girl with the intent of having sex with her, was sentenced to over 21 years in federal prison, the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents. The 12-year-old girl was actually an undercover ICE agent. Dennis Ray Barnes of Louisville, Ky. was sentenced Sept. 13 following his guilty plea on four counts of violating federal child pornography laws. This is considered a typical child exploitation case and reveals the modus operandi or operation mode of numerous child pornographers and predators.
Barnes pleaded guilty previously to several violations of federal child pornography laws. According to a written plea agreement filed in open court on April 15, Barnes admitted that he used his home computer connected to the Internet to obtain, possess, and distribute images of children engaged in child pornography. On Dec. 6, 2004, Barnes possessed numerous images of child pornography, and on that same date, he engaged in an on-line chat with a person identified as a 12-year-old girl.
Prior to Dec. 6, 2004, and continuing until about Jan. 3, 2005, Barnes engaged in numerous on-line chats with the 12-year-old.On more than one occasion during the on-line chats, Barnes used a web camera to display images of himself to the person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. Specifically, Barnes used the web camera to transmit images of his genitalia and his face.
Barnes also sent similar images of himself to the 12-year-old using movie and photographic files attached to e-mail messages. During the course of the on-line chats and during a monitored telephone call, Barnes discussed matters such as traveling to visit the girl in Illinois to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her. He also discussed plans for the girl to travel to Louisville and stay in his home to engage in sexually explicit conduct with him.
In early January 2005, Barnes mailed money to a person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl so that she could purchase a phone card to continue their telephone conversations.During those computer and telephone communications, Barnes provided to a person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl directions regarding how to connect to his personal computer, and he let her access his computer to share files showing images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Barnes shared the files with the person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl while discussing the sexual activity in which he and the 12-year-old would engage if he traveled to see her or she traveled to see him.
An ICE special agent, acting in an undercover capacity as the 12-year-old girl, connected to Barnes' computer and was able to see 178 files available to be downloaded. On Dec. 6, 2004, the ICE agent downloaded four movie files, and Barnes transmitted one movie file during the chat session. The files contained images of children engaged in child pornography, which had been sent across state lines by computer. Barnes again allowed the ICE special agent (acting in an undercover capacity) to access Barnes' computer to download certain files, and the agent downloaded numerous movie and photographic files from Barnes' computer on. The files contained images of children engaged in child pornography. The porno included images of prepubescent children or minors under the age of 12. The pictures also involved material that portrayed violent conduct including the sexual penetration of young children by adult males.
In Janurary 2005, ICE agents executed a federal search warrant on Barnes' home and seized numerous computer and computer-related items, in which examination by forensic specialists revealed the presence of more than 600 images of child pornography.
Barnes' arrest and prosecution is part of Operation Predator, an ongoing ICE national enforcement initiative to protect children from pornographers, child prostitution rings, Internet predators, alien smugglers, human traffickers, and other predatory criminals. Since the initiative began in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 6,300 individuals nationwide, many of whom are illegal immigrants.
Sources: US Department of Justice, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Postal Service, National Association of Chiefs of Police
Barnes pleaded guilty previously to several violations of federal child pornography laws. According to a written plea agreement filed in open court on April 15, Barnes admitted that he used his home computer connected to the Internet to obtain, possess, and distribute images of children engaged in child pornography. On Dec. 6, 2004, Barnes possessed numerous images of child pornography, and on that same date, he engaged in an on-line chat with a person identified as a 12-year-old girl.
Prior to Dec. 6, 2004, and continuing until about Jan. 3, 2005, Barnes engaged in numerous on-line chats with the 12-year-old.On more than one occasion during the on-line chats, Barnes used a web camera to display images of himself to the person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl. Specifically, Barnes used the web camera to transmit images of his genitalia and his face.
Barnes also sent similar images of himself to the 12-year-old using movie and photographic files attached to e-mail messages. During the course of the on-line chats and during a monitored telephone call, Barnes discussed matters such as traveling to visit the girl in Illinois to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her. He also discussed plans for the girl to travel to Louisville and stay in his home to engage in sexually explicit conduct with him.
In early January 2005, Barnes mailed money to a person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl so that she could purchase a phone card to continue their telephone conversations.During those computer and telephone communications, Barnes provided to a person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl directions regarding how to connect to his personal computer, and he let her access his computer to share files showing images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Barnes shared the files with the person he believed to be a 12-year-old girl while discussing the sexual activity in which he and the 12-year-old would engage if he traveled to see her or she traveled to see him.
An ICE special agent, acting in an undercover capacity as the 12-year-old girl, connected to Barnes' computer and was able to see 178 files available to be downloaded. On Dec. 6, 2004, the ICE agent downloaded four movie files, and Barnes transmitted one movie file during the chat session. The files contained images of children engaged in child pornography, which had been sent across state lines by computer. Barnes again allowed the ICE special agent (acting in an undercover capacity) to access Barnes' computer to download certain files, and the agent downloaded numerous movie and photographic files from Barnes' computer on. The files contained images of children engaged in child pornography. The porno included images of prepubescent children or minors under the age of 12. The pictures also involved material that portrayed violent conduct including the sexual penetration of young children by adult males.
In Janurary 2005, ICE agents executed a federal search warrant on Barnes' home and seized numerous computer and computer-related items, in which examination by forensic specialists revealed the presence of more than 600 images of child pornography.
Barnes' arrest and prosecution is part of Operation Predator, an ongoing ICE national enforcement initiative to protect children from pornographers, child prostitution rings, Internet predators, alien smugglers, human traffickers, and other predatory criminals. Since the initiative began in July 2003, ICE agents have arrested more than 6,300 individuals nationwide, many of whom are illegal immigrants.
Sources: US Department of Justice, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, US Postal Service, National Association of Chiefs of Police
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