HOUSTON, TEXAS – A 25-year-old former Marine has been sentenced to 60 years in prison after sexually assaulting a 3-year-old child.
Derrick Alexander Barnum pleaded guilty to possession, distribution and production of child pornography on April 11.
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On Friday, he was sentenced to 720 months in federal prison. He received 360 and 240 months for the production and distribution convictions, as well as another 120 months for the possession of child sexual abuse material. They will all run consecutively for a total of 60 years in federal prison.
According to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei, the investigation against Barnum started in July 2024 when his posts in a CSAM trading room were found. Investigators said Barnum posted multiple videos of himself with a child and also reached out to other people who were doing the same thing.
A search was conducted on Barnum’s home, and investigators found nearly 1,000 images and 259 videos on his phone, all of children engaging in sexual conduct, including oral, anal, and vaginal penetration, masturbation, sadistic and masochistic conduct and lewd and lascivious exhibition of genitals.
Investigators also found 27 videos of Barnum engaging in sexual activity with a child, which started when the child was 3 years old, according to investigators.
The victim’s mother prepared and read from a victim impact statement, which described how the child needed counseling for the trauma Barnum caused and will live with his actions for the rest of their life.
In handing down the prison terms, the court noted this case presented some of the worst, most horrible facts the court has ever seen, and that the scars inflicted upon the young child are scars that last for a lifetime.