NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee man was sentenced to 20 years in prison after a jury previously convicted him of two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of witness tampering for producing sexually explicit images of two minors.
Pierre Burns, 31, of Smyrna, was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release. While on trial, Burns called one of the minors from jail to influence her trial testimony.
“This sentencing is a result of cooperation between HSI and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department to rescue children being sexually exploited,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud. “Our investigators work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to deliver justice to those who engage in the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material.”
According to the evidence at trial, in March 2020, the defendant picked up two runaway minors at a Nashville Waffle House. Over the course of the next several days, he used his phone to photograph and record the minors engaging in sexual acts. Following a traffic stop, these sexually explicit images were discovered on the defendant’s phone. One of the minors depicted in the images was in the car with the defendant during that traffic stop.
While the defendant was awaiting trial on child exploitation charges, he called one of the minors from the jail in an attempt to influence her testimony. The defendant was subsequently charged in a superseding indictment with witness tampering.
“Protecting minors from exploitation continues to be one of the Justice Department’s top priorities,” said U.S. Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “Today’s sentence, and the excellent investigative and trial work that preceded it, will ensure that this defendant will not get anywhere near children for the next two decades.”
HSI and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison prosecuted the case.
About HSI
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce consists of over 10,000 employees, assigned to 235 offices within the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents the Department of Homeland Security’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.