A former Twin Cities girls volleyball coach has been sentenced to 33 years in federal prison for production of child pornography, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Thompson.
Dorian Christopher Barrs, 33, was sentenced Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel to 400 months of imprisonment followed by a lifetime of supervised release, in what the judge called “every parent’s worst nightmare.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s press release, Barrs used his position as a volleyball coach for nearly a decade to prey on and sexually abuse his players and other victims, as young as 14-years-old.
Barrs coached volleyball for Maple Grove High School and club volleyball programs and also coached players in private lessons. Barrs used social media to groom, sexually exploit, and abuse young, impressionable, and vulnerable girls for his sexual gratification. Barrs also used another minor’s identity to “catfish” his unsuspecting victims, wearing them down or removing their defenses. Barrs was manipulative and sent hundreds of messages to his victims, frequently steering conversations to sexualized topics in a short amount of time.
Barrs both produced and received sexually explicit images and videos, and he engaged in sexual acts with at least five of the minor victims.
To date, the government has identified at least 19 minor victims who Barrs victimized in his scheme, 14 of whom were being coached by Barrs.
“Barrs didn’t just break the law—he shattered the trust placed in him by parents, schools, and the girls he coached and was supposed to protect,” said Thompson. “This was a deliberated and calculated abuse of power. And it is part of a broader crisis we are facing in Minnesota. Coaches, state troopers, daycare workers, federal agents, and state senators—case after case of people who hold positions of trust and authority preying on children. It is the ultimate betrayal of power and it demands the full force of federal prosecution. To be clear, while I am tired of seeing these cases, this office will not slow down. If you hold a position of trust or authority and harm a child: we will find you, we will expose you, and you will see federal justice.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office commended the bravery of the victims in the case. In 2024, one victim told her parents what was happening and then contacted law enforcement, which was the first step in unraveling Barrs’ crimes. More victims then came forward, which allowed law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to piece together the scope of the scheme and bring Barrs to justice.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Carver County’s Sheriff’s Office and the FBI.
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Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
Crime Watch MN
Minnesota Crime Watch & Information publishes news, info and commentary about crime, public safety and livability issues in Minneapolis, the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota.
