Persinger Guilty

A former Sioux City man has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography in federal court. Patrick Persinger, age 38, formerly of Sioux City, was convicted of one count of distribution of child pornography.

At the plea hearing, Persinger admitted that, between February 2011 and October 2011, he used the Internet to distribute child pornography. This admission is a crucial step in bringing Persinger to justice for his heinous crimes.

Persinger’s guilty plea is the result of a thorough investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel, who has worked tirelessly to ensure that Persinger is held accountable for his actions.

Sentencing for Persinger will be set after a presentence report is prepared. He remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Persinger faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a $100 special assessment, and supervised release for 5 years to life following his imprisonment.

This case is a stark reminder of the dangers of child pornography and the importance of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.” Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 12-4078.

The guilty plea of Patrick Persinger serves as a warning to those who would seek to exploit and harm children: you will be caught, and you will be brought to justice. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and provide updates as more information becomes available.