Coos Bay Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Child Sexual Exploitation
A Coos Bay man was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison and 15 years of supervised release for sexually exploiting children online in the United States and abroad.
A Coos Bay man was sentenced Tuesday to 17 years in federal prison for using a minor to produce child sexual abuse material and attempting to exploit another child, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Thomas Owen Barnett, 40, will also serve 15 years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
According to court documents, Barnett encouraged a minor to create and send him child sexual abuse material between September and December 2023.
Federal prosecutors said Barnett later distributed material depicting the victim through the Kik online messaging platform in September 2024 and sought money in exchange. During the same month, Barnett allegedly posed online as the victim and asked a man in another country to create and send material depicting the man’s young child.
A federal grand jury in Eugene indicted Barnett in February 2025 on four counts, including sexual exploitation of a child, attempted sexual exploitation of a child, possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.
“This defendant used the internet to exploit children within the United States and abroad,” U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford said in a statement. “Children deserve to be safe online and in their own homes.”
FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson credited the North Bend Police Department and Coos County Sheriff’s Office for assisting federal investigators.
“Barnett’s actions caused real harm,” Olson said. “Their teamwork with our agents and the U.S. Attorney’s Office was essential to bringing this case to justice.”
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the two local law enforcement agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. McLaren prosecuted the case.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Justice Department initiative focused on combating child exploitation and abuse.
Information about the physical or online exploitation of children may be reported to the FBI at 1-800-225-5324 or through tips.fbi.gov. Additional resources are available from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
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