AURORA, Ill. — An Aurora man will spend more than 30 years in federal prison for coercing young girls into sending him nude photos under the threat of violence.

Richard Barnett, a 46-year-old Aurora resident, has been sentenced to 34 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting several victims using the now-defunct social media app "Musical.ly," Andrew Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced Thursday.

According to prosecutors, Barnett, who pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges earlier this year, has been in custody since his arrest in 2017, when the case against him first began.

Prosecutors said Barnett would pose as a 12 or 13-year-old while using the Musical.ly app to contact his victims, requesting, and sometimes even demandin

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