Giovanni Ibarra, a 27-year-old resident of Sherwood, Arkansas, has been sentenced to 350 months in federal prison for the production of child pornography. The sentence was issued by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr. on February 12, 2026. Ibarra will also serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison term. Federal sentencing does not allow for parole.
Ibarra was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 9, 2024, facing two counts of production and three counts of distribution or attempted distribution of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to one count of production on July 28, 2025.
The investigation began after the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office received a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on September 5, 2024. The tip concerned video files uploaded to the KIK social media platform during May and June that year. Some videos showed adults engaging in sexual acts with children, including an infant.
Investigators subpoenaed internet provider records linked to the CyberTipline Reports and identified a subscriber by August 29, 2024. On September 23, agents found a Facebook page belonging to this subscriber containing images matching those seen in the KIK videos. Surveillance at the Sherwood residence led agents to identify Ibarra as one of two males observed leaving the home; he was later recognized from photos posted online.
Further checks with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service confirmed Ibarra received mail at the address under investigation. Upon arrest, Ibarra consented to an interview and allowed agents to search his phone. He admitted uploading videos to KIK and acknowledged knowing the infant shown in one video. According to investigators, he said he shared these videos because “people always ask for that type of content” and admitted deleting one after watching it because “he knew it was not okay.”
United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross commented: “Giovanni Ibarra is a despicable human being who took advantage of vulnerable children to satisfy his wicked sexual desires,” stated Ross. “This defendant did not care about the harm he inflicted upon these children and their families, but as demonstrated by the excellent work on this investigation, our law enforcement partners do. This sentence serves as a warning to others that if you commit heinous acts against children, our office will seek to have you sent to federal prison for the greatest length of time as the law will allow.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans added: “This investigation and the resulting sentence highlight Homeland Security Investigations’ steadfast commitment to combating child exploitation and ensuring that sexual predators like Ibarra are brought to justice. Through our strong partnerships with the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and other law enforcement partners, HSI will continue to leverage every available resource to protect children and hold offenders accountable.”
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood—a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies nationwide (https://www.justice.gov/psc). The program focuses both on prosecuting offenders who exploit children via digital means and identifying victims.
The Arkansas Attorney General’s Office conducted this investigation along with Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Postal Inspection Service personnel; Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant prosecuted the case.
