March 1, 2024
TRENTON, NJ (MERCER)–A Bucks County, Pennsylvania, man made his initial court appearance on charges of producing videos and images depicting child sexual abuse and coercing and enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual conduct, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Gregory J. Barger, 38, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania, was indicted on Feb. 15, 2024, on one count of sexual exploitation of a child – production of child pornography – and one count of coercion and enticement – online enticement of a minor. Barger had previously been charged by criminal complaint with the production offense. Barger was arraigned On Feb. 28, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court and was detained pending trial.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From Aug. 5, 2020, through April 7, 2022, Barger – a previously convicted, registered sex offender – used an electronic messaging application to communicate with a minor victim located in the United Kingdom. He induced, enticed, and coerced the minor victim to engage in sexual conduct with Barger. In February 2022, Barger traveled to the United Kingdom and produced images and videos of Barger engaged in sexual conduct with the minor victim. Law enforcement later recovered those images and videos from Barger’s cellular phone, which was seized from Barger at the time of his arrest on April 7, 2022, in Hamilton, New Jersey.
Because of Barger’s prior conviction, the charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 25 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 50 years in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine. The charge of online enticement of a minor carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison, as well as a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso, and members of the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Andrea D. Bergman Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Trenton
Arrest photo from “Operation Risky Business” arrest: “Gregory Barger, 37, Morrisville, PA. (Girl, 14) Barger is a self-employed painter and a registered sex offender in Pennsylvania. Charges: Attempted sexual assault, attempted luring, attempted endangering the welfare of a child, attempted kidnapping. MCPO is prosecuting.”
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