HANCOCK, Mich. (WZMQ) – UPDATE 1/30/23: Barrette pleaded guilty to charges in Houghton County Circuit Court Monday, Jan. 30, according to court documents.
He pleaded guilty to one count of felony aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material and one count of using a computer to commit a crime- a four-year felony. The other 18 charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Barrette is scheduled to be sentenced March 22.
ORIGINAL STORY 8/17/23:
A Hancock man faces multiple charges after an investigation revealed he was viewing files of child sexually abusive material online.
The Michigan State Police Computer Crimes Unit, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested 21-year-old Dominic Joseph Barrette this week. The arrest follows an investigation and search of Barrette’s home, where digital evidence was seized.
Barrette is charged with nine counts of child sexually abusive material- aggravated possession, one count of child sexually abusive material- possession, and ten counts of using a computer to commit a crime.
If convicted, Barrette faces up to ten years in prison for the child sexually abusive material-aggravated possession, four years in prison for the child sexually abusive material, and ten years in prison for using a computer to commit a crime.
He was arraigned in Houghton’s 97th District Court on August 16. Court records show his bond was set at $75,000 cash or surety. His next court appearance is set for August 28 for a probable cause hearing.
The MSP Computer Crimes Unit encourages parents to speak to their children and family members about safe use of the internet. There are many resources available to assist in keeping people safe online. The MSP ICAC Task Force provides a comprehensive list of resources on their website at http://www.michiganicac.com.
If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, report it to the CyberTipline at http://www.missingkids.org/cybertipline.
