LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A federal grand jury indicted a Las Vegas man Wednesday for alleged federal child exploitation violations, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Trutanich for the District of Nevada.
Barry Allen Gabelman, 49, was charged with one count of coercion and enticement and one count of transferring obscene material to a minor.
Gabelman is in federal custody pending his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts on Feb. 11, 2020.
From about Oct. 31 to Dec. 6, 2019, Gabelman exchanged sexually explicit messages and photos via his Skout social media account, as well as his WhatsApp messaging account, with individuals whom he believed to be an 11-year-old girl and her stepfather, according to allegations contained in the complaint and indictment.
The attorney's office said a law enforcement officer posed as both the girl and stepfather.
During their communications, Gabelman discussed having sex with the 11-year-old girl. On Dec. 6, 2019, Gabelman traveled to a predetermined location to have sex with the girl.
Officers then arrested Gabelman at the meeting place.
The FBI investigated the incident with assistant U.S. Attorney Bianca Pucci is prosecuting the case.
An indictment alleges that crimes have been committed, but the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, according to the office.
If convicted, Gabelman faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison for coercion and enticement and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for transfer of obscene material to a minor.
The defendant also faces a period of supervised release.
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.
