Tulsa Man Charged with Obtaining Child Exploitation Material Using Public Library

TULSA, Okla. - A Tulsa man was sentenced on October 21, 2026 for Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country announced U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar.

U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Charles Barranco, age 71, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, to 78 months' imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Upon release, Charles Barranco will also be required to register as a sex offender. Further, Charles Barranco was ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar states, "Barranco's conduct is a serious and deeply disturbing crime. He repeatedly sought out material involving the exploitation of children, even using a public library to do so. His actions were predatory in nature and inflicted real harm on the most vulnerable among us. This case reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting children and ensuring that those who engage in this behavior are held fully accountable."

According to court documents, in September 2025 the Tulsa Police Department executed search warrants on Barranco's residence and electronic accounts after receiving a CyberTip from Google identifying uploads of suspected child sexual abuse material linked to Barranco's Google account. Investigators later determined that Barranco was associated with multiple additional CyberTips.

Court filings also show that a review of associated IP addresses revealed that not only did Barranco use his personal internet service but he also used the Tulsa City County Library public internet system, more than 60 times to upload Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) into his Google account. A forensic review of that account uncovered over 11,000 images of child sexual abuse material. A subsequent search of his seized electronic devices uncovered more than 1,500 additional images. This material depicted the exploitation and abuse of very young children, including infants. Evidence indicated that Barranco collected and retained these images over an extended period of time.

At sentencing, the United States argued for a 97-month term, the high end of the advisory guideline range, citing the seriousness of the offense, the volume of material, and the defendant's conduct while on release. The defense argued for 36-month term of imprisonment, citing, among other things, Barranco's age. Barranco was ultimately sentenced to 78 months imprisonment.

Barranco will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

The Tulsa Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal 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.