Howland man sentenced in child pornography and ‘revenge porn’ case
A Howland man, on Tuesday, received an indefinite 12- to 15-year prison sentence in a case dealing with child pornography and “revenge porn.”
On Feb. 10, 2025, Jeffrey P. Barton, 37, of Englewood Street NE, pleaded guilty to a bill of information charging him with 18 criminal counts, nine that involve pandering sex-oriented material involving a minor; eight of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance and one misdemeanor count of dissemination of private sexual images, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Judge Sean O’Brien also declared Barton a Tier 2 sexual offender, which means he will have to register with the sheriff’s office twice per year for 25 years.
According to Assistant Prosecutor Gabriel Wildman, the case was based on a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children task force out of Cuyahoga County and investigated by Howland police who conducted a search of Barton’s residence.
According to a report, Howland police took items from the home, including a handheld gaming system, two flip phones, two handheld electronic reading devices and one electronic tablet.
It was discovered that Barton downloaded internet-based child pornography on his electronic devices, Wildman stated, and he also shared private sexual images of females without their consent.
One of the females addressed the court in a victim’s impact statement. The woman said the incident occurred 10 years ago, but she still suffers psychological damage including intense anxiety and an overwhelming sense of shame.
“I have been trapped in a cycle of exposure and humiliation,” she told the judge saying she wanted to see a long prison term for the defendant. “This is not about punishment but about setting a precedent that this kind of abuse should not be tolerated.”
Wildman, who stated none of the charges against Barton involved production of child pornography, pushed for the consecutive sentences and the judge agreed saying the terms were needed to protect the public from future crimes from the defendant.