DALLAS: Two individuals have been sentenced to 70 and 80 years in prison in the United States for their roles in a case involving the sexual exploitation of a child, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Justice said in an official statement.
The convictions stem from charges including child sexual exploitation, the production and distribution of child pornography, and criminal conspiracy, following a federal court ruling
According to the FBI’s statement, Wisam Sharieff, 44, of Euless, Texas, who used the title of imam and operated as an online instructor specialising in Quran recitation, was sentenced to 960 months in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. The court also ordered him to pay a $135,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act. Sharieff pleaded guilty in June 2025 to conspiracy to engage in the sexual exploitation of children and multiple child pornography related offenses.
The statement further added that Sharieff’s co-defendant, Blake Miller Barakat, also known as Hamna, 50, of Shelby County, Alabama, was sentenced to 840 months in prison, also followed by a lifetime term of supervised release.
Barakat was ordered to pay a $30,000 special assessment. The individual pleaded guilty in June 2025 to sexual exploitation of children as well as the possession and distribution of child pornography.
The FBI said Sharieff exploited a religious title to manipulate his online student, Barakat, promoting the false and deeply troubling belief that sexual gratification could bring an individual closer to God.
Court documents cited in the press release state that in October 2024, the two individuals repeatedly viewed and shared adult pornography online before coercing a seven-year-old child to watch the videos. The child was then forced to engage in sexually explicit acts for the purpose of producing child pornography.
US Attorney Prim F Escalona described the crimes as among the most reprehensible offences against society, emphasising that federal authorities will continue to aggressively pursue individuals who target children. The FBI Birmingham Division reaffirmed its commitment to protecting children and holding offenders accountable.
The case was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative of the Department of Justice that coordinates federal, state, and local resources to combat the online sexual exploitation of children and to identify and assist victims.
