Washington County man indicted on child exploitation charges

A 49-year-old Washington County man was arraigned this week in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh after he was indicted on charges of sexually exploiting an underage boy.

Joey Leroy Barton of Charleroi pleaded not guilty to the five-count indictment that includes charges of production and attempted production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, receipt of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity and requested a trial, according to court dockets.

U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady said the indictment alleges that between Feb. 18, 2019, until Nov. 10, 2019, Barton coerced and induced the boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of the conduct. On March 28, 2019, and on April 10, 2019, Barton received digital images depicting the sexual exploitation of the minor, according to the indictment.

The Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and police in Roseville, Minn., and North Strabane were involved in the investigation.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.