A Cherokee County man who was caught traveling to the Philippines with a cellphone and a tablet containing child pornography has been sentenced to five years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Nathaniel Barber, 40, of Canton, pleaded guilty in November to the attempted international transport of child pornography, acting U.S. Attorney Kurt Erskine said in an announcement. The investigation found that Barber had videos and pictures of girls under the age of 10 being sexually abused.
Barber was sentenced Monday to five years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release, along with paying a special assessment of $5,100, Erskine said.
According to the announcement, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security received a tip in January 2020 that Barber might be traveling overseas to commit sex crimes against minors. Barber had bought a plane ticket to the Philippines out of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Jan. 28, 2020, and Homeland Security agents stopped him at his gate.
Barber denied that he was going to the Philippines to have sex with anyone under the age of 18, but admitted that he had child pornography on a tablet and cellphone, Erskine said. The investigation found that Barber was part of an online group in which members shared and posted child porn. His phone and tablet had seven videos and more than 100 photos showing children being sexually abused.
“Stopping predators from spreading this filth, that victimizes innocent children every time it is shared, is one of the most important actions we do,” Homeland Security Special Agent Katrina Berger said. “Luckily, he was not able to complete his trip, and others engaged in this depravity should be on the lookout because we won’t stop searching for them.”
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