Kansas man charged with child porn possession
December 10, 2017
A young man from Kansas is facing further felony charges in Woods County. Kobee Lane Barnett, 18, of Hugoton, Kansas, was charged earlier with distribution of controlled dangerous substance – including possession with intent to distribute, a felony.
On Nov. 30 Barnett was charged with three more felony counts: (1) aggravated possession of child pornography, (2) violation of Oklahoma statute via computer and (3) pornography – procure, produce, distribute or possess juvenile pornography. The first charge is punishable by imprisonment for not more than life and by a fine of not more than $100,000. A person convicted of this crime shall be required to register as a sex offender pursuant to the Sex Offenders Registration Act. The other two charges carry lesser punishments.
The drug charge was filed after Woods County Undersheriff Keith Dale stopped Barnett’s vehicle in Alva for speeding. Following the arrest of Barnett for possession of marijuana, Dale conducted a post-Miranda Rights interview with him. According to Dale’s affidavit, Barnett said he used his cellphone to communicate with people for the purchase and distribution of marijuana. Dale said Barnett gave verbal consent and placed his finger on the phone to unlock it.
During the search of Barnett’s phone, Dale reports he observed in excess of 100 nude and sexually explicit images and videos of a female in the phone’s picture gallery. Barnett said it was his girlfriend who was “old enough” but would not give her name. When Dale asked the girl’s age, Barnett said she was under the age of 18. Dale told him it was illegal to possess nude or sexually explicit images of a juvenile, and Barnett told him the girl’s name. Barnett later signed consent to search his phone and provided the passcode.
On Nov. 27, Dale was able to confirm Barnett’s girlfriend was a juvenile. A search warrant was executed on the phone.
Dale viewed the images on the phone from May 21, 2017 to Nov. 21, 2017. There were in excess of 1,000 still images of the same juvenile female and several sexually explicit video clips.
On Nov. 27, Dale conducted a post-Miranda Rights interview with Barnett while he was an inmate at the Woods County Sheriff’s Office. During the interview, Dale states Barnett said he and the juvenile female have been in an “on and off again” sexual relationship for approximately six years.
According to the affidavit, Barnett said he would ask her for nude images and videos, and she would send them to him. He said the girl would Facetime him while she was in the shower and he would screenshot the conversations to save to his phone.
In a written statement, Barnett wrote, “We have exchanged images like these since I could remember.” He stated that they gave each other “complete full consent” and did not see a problem with it.
On Nov. 30 Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Brock Morgan told Undersheriff Dale that in January 2017 he had contact with Barnett and conducted a search of his cellphone. At that time he observed at least 20 images of child pornography. Morgan said he told Barnett it was illegal to possess nude or sexually explicit images of a person under the age of 18 and seized the telephone as evidence.
Bond on the child pornography charges was set at $15,000. Bond on the earlier drug charge was set at $10,000. Barnett has been released on bond with the provision that he is to have no contact with any minor child with the exception of immediate family members. His next court appearance is Jan. 9.
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