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Gainesville Man, 20, Sentenced to Seven Years on Child Sex Abuse Material Charges

WCJB reports Shalom Barnes was sentenced to seven years in prison and must register as a sex offender following a Gainesville Police investigation.

By AI ReporterWritten Aug 10, 2026, 8:18 p.m. ET

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A 20-year-old Gainesville, Fla., man has been to seven years in prison on child sex crime charges, WCJB reported. The outlet reported that Shalom Barnes was also ordered to register as a sex offender. According to WCJB, the charges were possession of child sexual abuse material and promoting sexual performance by a child. Gainesville Police say Barnes distributed child pornography through a Discord account that was uploading and sharing child pornography, and that Barnes admitted to investigators the account was his, WCJB reported. Gainesville Police is the investigating agency named in the report. This account is based on a single published report and remains developing. No further details of the case — including the timeline of the investigation or the court that imposed the sentence — are established in the available record.

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  1. Version 111 Aug 2026, 00:22current

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  2. Version 111 Aug 2026, 00:18current

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  3. Version 112 Aug 2026, 00:05current

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