Aurora Man Solicited Girls For Child Porn, Told Victim He'd Shoot Her: Feds

AURORA, IL — An Aurora man faces decades in prison on child porn charges after federal authorities claim he chatted with young girls online, asking them to send explicit photos — and threatening violence if they didn't. Richard Barnett, 39, was arrested Monday after federal authorities seized multiple electronic devices and several firearms during a court-ordered search at his Aurora home.

Barnett is accused of using the screen name "davidbanks1014" to talk to underage girls no the social media platform musical.ly, enticing them to produce pornographic images of themselves and send them to him, according to a complaint filed in federal court in Chicago. Some victims told police that "davidbanks1014" claimed to be just 13 years old.

Barnett is also accused of threatening to physically harm at least one of the girls, telling one victim that he would shoot her if she didn't comply with his demands to send sexually explicit photos, federal authorities allege. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Some underage victims told police they received sexually explicit messages from Barnett's screen name on musical.ly earlier this year, according to the complaint. An investigation revealed that the "davidbanks1014" account was created on April 22 using Barnett's cell phone number.

Barnett is charged with one count of producing child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 year and a maximum of 30 years if he's convicted, and one count of transporting child pornography, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum of 20 years.

A detention hearing is set for 3 p.m. Oct. 18 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria Valdez in Chicago.

Anyone who believes they have been a victim of sexual exploitation is urged to call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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