Baton Rouge Reporter

Barry Paul Vining, a 56-year-old resident of Denham Springs, Louisiana, has pleaded guilty to the distribution of child pornography. The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson.

Vining admitted that on November 27, 2022, he distributed two images of child pornography by uploading them to an internet-based file-sharing service. This service allowed global users to download and share the images. At the time of distribution, Vining also possessed numerous files containing images and videos of child pornography.

U.S. Attorney Ronald Gathe commented on the case: “Our office will remain steadfast in the prosecution of the horrific crime of child pornography, a crime that preys on the most vulnerable, our youth. I want to thank our Project Safe Childhood Partners, especially the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency for their hard work in investigating this illegal act.”

The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul L. Pugliese.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project coordinates federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute individuals who exploit children online and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.