PITTSBURGH – A resident of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on July 21, 2022, to charges of receipt and attempted receipt of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
Joey Leroy Barton, 51, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge William S. Stickman, IV.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on March 28, 2019 and April 11, 2019, Barton received and attempted to receive digital images depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor while engaged in an online conversation with a minor over Facebook messenger.
Judge Stickman scheduled sentencing for July 21, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of not more than 80 years in prison, a fine of $80,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the defendant remains detained.
Assistant United States Attorney Heidi M. Grogan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations, the Roseville (Minnesota) Police Department, and the North Strabane Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Barton.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.