DOJ: Violent Sex Offender from Blytheville Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography

Defendant also received 10-year sentence for illegally possessing firearms.

JONESBORO— A Blytheville man involved in drugs, guns, and child pornography will spend the next 20 years in federal prison. Jeremy Barnett was sentenced to 240 months’ incarceration today after being convicted for illegally possessing firearms and production of child pornography. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr.

On October 5, 2023, Barnett, 36, of Blytheville, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a three-count Indictment with being a felon in possession of firearms, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On March 6, 2025, a two-count Superseding Information was filed charging Barnett with being a felon in possession of firearms and production of child pornography. On that same day, Barnett pleaded guilty to the counts in the Superseding Information.

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Judge Marshall sentenced Barnett to 20 years in federal prison for his conviction for production of child pornography. Barnett’s also received a 10-year sentence for being a felon in possession of firearms, with the two sentences to be served concurrently. Judge Marshall sentenced Barnett to five years’ supervised release, which includes three years’ supervised release for being a felon in possession of firearms. There is no parole in the federal system.

An investigation revealed that Barnett was trafficking methamphetamine and other controlled substances. Law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant for Barnett’s residence and during the search, recovered multiple firearms, marijuana, 94 methamphetamine pills, suspected oxycodone, suspected alprazolam, and other pills. At the time of the search, Barnett had previous convictions for violent offenses, including battery in the third degree and domestic battery in the second degree.

While awaiting trial on the original Indictment, officers obtained information that Barnett had recorded himself engaging in various sex acts with a minor on multiple occasions. Officers obtained a search warrant for Barnett’s phone and recovered videos of Barnett engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the minor victim.

Barnett’s criminal history includes convictions for criminal trespass, possession of marijuana, carrying a weapon, battery in the third degree and criminal mischief, and domestic battery in the second degree.

This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Little Rock comprises agents and officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office, and the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office and the Second Judicial District Drug Task Force.