A 50-year-old Ohio man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison Friday after pleading guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A 50-year-old Ohio man was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison Friday after pleading guilty to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor, according to an announcement from Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Based on court documents, on Feb. 2, 2023, a user with the profile of “Barron read bio” — who was later identified as Barron M. Poole of Ripley, Ohio — contacted an FBI online covert employee (OCE) on a dating app frequently used by minors and those seeking to exploit them.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said the OCE was using a profile of an 18-year-old woman, which contained a picture of a female’s face with a status block above the photo containing the text, “hi im really 13.”
Poole messaged with the OCE, who he reportedly believed was a 13-year-old girl, over the course of a week. According to officials, he asked her to send him nude pictures; sent her photos of naked women in poses he wanted the OCE to recreate; and sent her pictures of his penis and abdomen, which had distinctive tattoos.
When he was arrested at his home in Ohio, Poole admitted that he used the dating app and that “Barron read bio” was his profile with his photo, the DOJ said.
After serving his 15-year sentence, Poole will be on supervised release for five years, officials announced on Friday, Oct. 11.
The DOJ reported the case was investigated by the FBI’s Nashville field office and Clarksville resident agency, with assistance from the FBI’s Cincinnati field office, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Morrison.
No additional details have been released about this case, including how it was connected to Middle Tennessee.