Andre Rudolph Barbins, 46, of Solomons
On Thursday, July 6, 2017, U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel sentenced Andre Rudolph Barbins, 46, formerly of Solomons, to 72 months in prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for receipt of child pornography. Barbins pled guilty to the charge on January 26, 2017. (at the time of his arrest, Barbins was the Head Coach/Aquatics Center Director for St. Mary’s College of Maryland)
The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Stephen M. Schenning; Special Agent in Charge Andre R. Watson of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Colonel William M. Pallozzi, Superintendent of the Maryland State Police; and Sheriff David Clague of the Knox County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Department.
According to his plea agreement, Barbins used experienceproject.com, a social media application accessible through the internet, to chat with and exchange pictures with a 12-year-old victim located in Illinois. The victim told Barbins directly that she was only 12 years old, nevertheless, Barbins continued chatting and exchanging pictures with the victim over the course of five days. Barbins persuaded the victim to send him pictures containing child pornography. Barbins also sent pornographic pictures of himself to the child. When a search warrant was executed at Barbins’ residence in Solomons, officers located several items of furniture that were visible in the photographs that Barbins sent to the victim.
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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “resources” tab on the left of the page.
Acting United States Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Schenning thanked Assistant United States Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin, who prosecuted the case.
Andre Rudolph Barbins, 46, of Solomons
2/17/2017: On October 19, 2015 the Knox County Sheriff’s Department in Illinois, received a report of a sexual exploitation of a child involving a victim in Knox County.
Upon investigating the report, indecent communications were discovered through a social media website between the victim and a male subject who was over the age of 18.
After months of diligently investigating the allegations, the Knox County Sheriff’s Investigation Division were able to identify a suspect whom resided in Maryland.
The suspect was identified as Andre Rudolph Barbins, 45 years of age, of 213 Pelagic Lane, in Solomons. With the suspect residing out of State, Knox County Investigator contacted the Maryland State Police, Division of Internet Crimes Against Children, and discussed the Knox County case. The case file was sent of to the Maryland State Police.
On February 12, 2016 the Maryland State Police and agents from the Department of Homeland Security executed a search warrant at Barbins residence in Solomons. Barbins was located and arrested without incident.
As a result of the search warrant, numerous digital media storage devices were seized. These items were found to contain images of child pornography.
Barbins confessed to authorities of having contacted the Knox County, Illinois juvenile victim as well as several other juveniles committing similar offenses.
Barbins was transported to the Calvert County Detention Center for booking and processing for the offenses of one count of sexual solicitation of a minor and one count of providing obscene material to a minor.
Barbins was detained at the time to the Calvert County Detention Center awaiting a hearing by the District Court Commissioner.
This case is an excellent example of cooperation by various law enforcement agencies producing a successful conclusion.
Andre Rudolph Barbins, 45, of Solomons
