Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Receipt

Feds Nail Child Pornography Possessor

In a grim revelation from Sioux City federal court, Wesley Ham, 32, of Arthur, Iowa, has pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography. The disturbing case was uncovered during an extensive investigation that spanned over a year.

Ham admitted to receiving and possessing over 94 images and 79 videos of child pornography between March 2022 and September 2023. A forensic examination of his computer and phone revealed he had accessed 370 images and 3 videos, including depictions of infants and toddlers engaged in sadistic and masochistic acts.

Although Ham confessed to possessing the material, he claimed not to have distributed it himself. However, the prosecution highlighted that Ham was previously charged with distributing child pornography in a state case from 2022.

The defendant now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ imprisonment, with a maximum of 20 years, along with a $250,000 fine and at least five years of supervised release. Sentencing will be determined by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand once a presentence report is completed.

This case was part of Project Safe Childhood, a federal initiative aimed at combating child sexual exploitation. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (Cyber Crime Bureau) and the Ida County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation, which led to Ham’s prosecution by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R Hamit.

For more information on Project Safe Childhood and internet safety education, visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. The court file number for this case is 25-3017. Follow updates on Twitter at @USAO_NDIA.

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