Spanaway Man Convicted On 3 Child Pornography Charges

SPANAWAY, WA — A Spanaway man was found guilty on three child pornography charges Thursday, after taking and sharing explicit photos of an 11-year-old child. According to the U.S. Attorney's office, Donnie Barnes, 52, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. Producing child pornography is punishable by up to thirty years in prison, while possession and distribution are each punishable by up to 20 years.

According to court records, Barnes' activities were first noticed when a detective in Australia found a folder with several explicit underage photos on a public photo-sharing website. The detective assumed an undercover identity and commented on the photos. Investigators said Barnes emailed the undercover officer, bragged about creating the photos, and revealed details about his relationship to the child.

In March of 2018, federal agents searched Barnes' Spanaway home and found graphic images on a hard drive. According to investigators, Barnes admitted he took photos of the child while they were asleep and traded items for more images on Craigslist.

The case is part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative, which coordinates federal, state, and local resources to catch child predators. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 3, 2020.