Derrick Alexander Barnum, 25, was arrested in 2024 after he posted videos of himself assaulting the child. He had hundreds of images and videos on his phone.
HOUSTON — A former Marine in Houston was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession, distribution and production of child pornography.
At the sentencing hearing for Derrick Alexander Barnum, the judge heard evidence and testimony that included “some of the worst, most horrible facts the court has ever seen.”
The victim was only three when Barnum, 25, began recording himself sexually assaulting them and then broadcasting the assaults on an app for child sexual assault material.
In a victim’s impact statement, the child’s mother said the victim needed counseling for the trauma Barnum caused, and their emotional scars will last a lifetime.
“The defendant robbed this child of their innocence, not only by committing a pattern of vicious sexual assault, but also by publicizing videos of this abuse for the world to see,” U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei said. “While the sentence of 60 years will likely mean Barnum spends the rest of his natural life in prison, it still falls short of healing the scars he sadistically inflicted on the minor victim.”
Barnum was arrested in 2024 after he posted videos of himself assaulting the child on the internet. FBI agents found nearly 1,000 images and 259 videos of minor victims of child sex assault on his phone. Approximately 27 of those videos showed Barnum with the victim.
“Derrick Barnum didn’t just commit a crime; he broadcast the torture of a child for the gratification of other abusers,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “This case is a brutal reminder of the hidden world we are fighting, where predators treat the sexual abuse of children as entertainment.”
Barnum pleaded guilty in April.
Even if Barnum is released after serving his sentence, he will spend the rest of his life on supervised release with restricted access to children.
The FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation.