Texas Man Sentenced For Sextortion Case Involving Illinois Girls

PEORIA, IL — A Texas man was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison Jan. 9 for an online sextortion case involving dozens of underage victims in nine judicial districts across eight states, including Illinois , as the result of an investigation by the U.S. Secret Service -Springfield Electronic Crimes Task Force. According to a release, Mark P. Barnwell, a convicted sex offender from Whitehouse, TX was operating under fake Facebook profiles, posing as a modeling agent and offering his victims an opportunity to take part in a modeling job he claimed paid $500 to $5,000 for photo shoots.

According to Secret Service Springfield officials, Barnwell directed the 43 victim's poses, ranging from undressing to sexually explicit, which Barnwell disguised as producing a modeling portfolio. He is accused of then threatening to post the provided photos online if the victims didn't continue providing more photos, officials reported.

Officials said the investigation into Barnwell's fake Facebook profiles uncovered he contacted at least 66 females and obtained nude photos from 43 minors. According to a release, evidence from Barnwell's devises had additional photos and videos relating to sexual exploitation of minors and videos he recorded of women using public restrooms.

“This case highlights our outstanding relationship with the Peoria Police Department, the Peoria County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” William Shink, Resident Agent in Charge, U.S. Secret Service – Springfield Resident Office, said in a release. “It is important for the public to know these predators exist and how to protect themselves online. We will continue to aggressively investigate these types of crimes and pursue those who choose to victimize our most vulnerable citizens.”

The release also stated that this case was brought as part of a nationwide initiative called Project Safe Childhood, which is led by the Department of Justice and aims to combat child sexual exploitation and leverages federal, state, and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who use the internet to exploit children.

>>More information on the Secret Service's fight against those who use cyberspace to commit crime

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