St. Cloud Man Hit With Four Child Sex Abuse Image Felonies

A 26-year-old St. Cloud resident has been summoned to court on four felony counts of possessing child sexual abuse material, according to authorities. The suspect, Uriah Justice Barber, is scheduled for his first appearance in Benton County District Court on Tuesday, June 23.

According to KNSI, the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a cyber tip in December 2024 about images uploaded to a Discord account that investigators believed contained child sexual abuse material. Investigators later traced that account to Barber, the outlet reported.

As KNSI reported, the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension executed a search warrant at Barber’s St. Cloud home in June 2025 and seized his cellphone, computer and other digital equipment. In a Mirandized statement, Barber admitted viewing explicit files and described himself as “a pornography addict,” while telling investigators he did not know how the images ended up on his Discord account.

How platform tips reach investigators

When online services detect suspected child sexual abuse material, they typically report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline. That clearinghouse reviews incoming tips and forwards actionable leads to law enforcement. According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the state’s Internet Crimes Against Children task force then provides digital forensics and investigative support to local departments when a tip has a Minnesota tie.

What the law says

Under Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. 617.247), possession of child sexual abuse material is a felony that can bring up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Enhanced penalties, including up to ten years behind bars and larger fines, apply to repeat offenders, registered predatory offenders, or cases involving children under 14. The statute also makes clear that consent is not a defense and allows courts to order extended conditional release and treatment after a conviction.

The summons filing means the case remains an allegation unless and until prosecutors move forward and a court finds otherwise. Barber’s June 23 appearance is expected to launch the routine pretrial process in Benton County, including arraignment and scheduling for discovery if the prosecution proceeds.

Hoodline recently covered a separate St. Cloud investigation that also began after a technology company flagged suspected material and passed along a tip to law enforcement. See another St. Cloud CSAM case for related coverage of how platform alerts are feeding regional investigations.

Authorities advise that anyone who encounters suspected child sexual abuse material should not save or share the images. Instead, they urge people to report what they see to the CyberTipline or local police, who can take steps to preserve evidence and identify potential victims. The CyberTipline and state ICAC task forces remain the main entry points for these kinds of cases.