An Orange County, Fla., man relatives say worked as a Disney World lifeguard has been sentenced to 14 { years in federal prison for distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography.
In referencing 28-year-old William Earl Barrett's occupation, the court documents didn't go beyond "theme park in Orlando" and a few references to Lake Buena Vista, the mailing address city of Walt Disney World. But family letters pleading for sentencing leniency say Barrett was a lifeguard at Disney.
The letters also refer to an early life bouncing among foster homes before adoption, a youth of incessant bullying and a clean previous criminal record.
The criminal complaint against Barrett says his name came up during an investigation of Johnson City, New York, resident Michael Rushmer, charged by criminal complaint in federal court of sexual exploitation of a minor and distribution and receipt of child pornography.
Among the child pornography Rushmer received, according to the stipulated facts in Barrett's plea bargain, were from Barrett on Dec. 19, 2016. Two boys, in the 8- to 10-year-old range, were shown lying on their backs in a car with feet toward the roof and legs spread.
A search of Barrett's external hard drive as well as two Toshiba laptops turned up several videos, including a video of a naked 7- or 8-year-old girl spanking herself with a wooden back scratcher; a man spanking a 3- or 4-year-old girl, then her spanking herself; and two preteen boys, naked from the waist down, urinating on each other before being whipped by a man.
Barrett was sentenced on Thursday. After his release, he will be on supervised release for life.
