Thomas Owen Barnett Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Exploitation Charges in Coos Bay, Oregon
A man from Coos Bay, Oregon, named Thomas Owen Barnett, pleaded guilty in federal court for engaging in child sexual exploitation activities. Barnett admitted to encouraging a minor to produce and send him child sexual abuse material (CSAM) between September and December 2023. He also distributed CSAM of the minor victim on an online chat platform and posed as the minor victim to solicit CSAM from a man in a foreign country involving the man's young child. Barnett was indicted on four counts related to sexual exploitation of a child and child pornography in February 2025. He faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a supervised release term of five years to life. Barnett will be sentenced on September 1, 2026, and has agreed to pay restitution to the victim and forfeit certain property. The case was investigated by the FBI, North Bend Police Department, and Coos County Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon. If you have information about child exploitation, you can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.