Adam Stephenson Sentenced

A devastating sentence has been handed down to Adam Stephenson, a 20-year-old from Otho, Iowa, who has been sentenced to five years in federal prison for distributing and receiving child pornography.

Stephenson pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography on September 27, 2012. He admitted to using the Internet to distribute and receive child pornography, a heinous crime that has severe consequences for its victims.

On March 7, 2013, United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett sentenced Stephenson to 60 months’ imprisonment. In addition to his prison sentence, Stephenson was also ordered to pay a special assessment of $200 and serve a five-year term of supervised release. He will be required to comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The successful prosecution of this case is a testament to the dedication and hard work of these law enforcement agencies.

The case was brought as part 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. Project Safe Childhood is a crucial program that works 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. The website provides valuable resources and information about Internet safety education, as well as ways to report suspected cases of child sexual exploitation. Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, with the case file number being CR 12-3016.

The sentence handed down to Adam Stephenson serves as a warning to those who would seek to exploit and harm children. It is a reminder that law enforcement agencies are committed to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society and will work tirelessly to bring perpetrators to justice.

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