Pennsylvania Man Indicted for Federal Child Exploitation Crimes in Alachua County, Florida

Gainesville, Florida - Joshua Barber, 39, of Butler, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with one count of attempted sexual exploitation of a minor for purpose of producing visual depictions; one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity; one count of cyberstalking; six counts of threatening communications; and one count of repeated harassing communication. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.

Barber appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for August 4, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.

If convicted, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years' imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, on count one; a mandatory minimum of 10 years' imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, on count two; up to 10 years' imprisonment on count three; up to five years' imprisonment on counts four through nine; and up to two years' imprisonment on count ten.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Gainesville Police Department, and the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt is prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation's principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of FloridaLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. website. For more information about the United States Attorney's Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.