Ex-coach jailed for child porn
Barbins traded explicit photos with 12-year-old child while leading St. Mary’s College of Md. swim team
Andre Barbins, the former head swim coach for St. Mary’s College of Maryland, has been sentenced to six years of prison for a 2015 incident in which he was caught exchanging sexually explicit photographs online with a 12-year-old in Illinois.
Barbins, 46, of Solomons was charged with one count of soliciting a subject for child pornography and another count of displaying obscene matter to a minor, according to online court records.
State police investigators from the Maryland Internet Crimes Section, Maryland Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, were contacted by the Knox County Sheriff’s Office in Illinois for a case involving the sexual solicitation of a minor. After reviewing the case, authorities learned a subject identifying himself as “Andre” contacted a 12-year-old via a social network website Sept. 24, 2015. He told the victim he was 37 and continued to use sexual jargon throughout the conversation, knowing the age of the juvenile, court records state.
Authorities noted more than 20 images shared in the five-day conversation, including some that were sexually explicit, a press release from the Department of Justice details. Barbins persuaded the victim to send him pictures containing child pornography. The photos shared in the conversation led detectives to Barbins, who deleted the account after his conversation with the juvenile.
Officers conducted a search warrant Feb. 12, 2016, at Barbins’ residence, where they seized various digital media storage devices found to contain images of child pornography, according to the police reports. Authorities also observed furniture in the residence that could be identified in the photographs exchanged with the victim. They made contact with Barbins at this time and transported him to the Maryland State Police Prince Frederick barrack for a polygraph test with Cpl. Fred Dolinger.
Barbins admitted to accessing the website and later deleting his account. He also confessed he knew the victim was 12 years old, and that he had sent pornographic images of himself to the juvenile.
His charges were placed on the stet docket in Calvert County after his Nov. 4, 2016, court proceeding, making the charges inactive at that time. They can be taken off the stet docket at the state attorney’s discretion.
Deputy State’s Attorney Kathryn Marsh, who was prosecuting the case, said the case was referred to the federal jurisdiction of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, as the facts of the case crossed state lines. The U.S. Attorney’s Office assumed the case and came to a plea resolution with Barbins.
“Based on the U.S. Attorney’s Office assuming the case — they have higher penalties and guidelines — we agreed to stet this case until Mr. Barbins enters his guilty plea in federal court. Once Mr. Barbins enters his guilty plea in federal court our case would be dismissed. Our stet is just to make sure something remains against Mr. Barbins until the federal case is resolved,” Marsh explained at that time.
Earlier this year, Barbins pleaded guilty to the receipt of child pornography. On July 6, U.S. District Judge George J. Hazel dealt Barbins a 72-month sentence in prison with 15 years of supervised probation following his release, the release states.
Acting U.S. Attorney Stephen M. Schenning commended Homeland Security Investigations, Maryland State Police and the Knox County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Schenning also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Baldwin, who prosecuted the case.