A San Diego man is facing federal child pornography charges in Iowa.
David Anthony Lavera, 33, of San Diego, California, appeared in federal court in Des Moines on October 7, 2014, on charges of producing and possessing child pornography.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa, Lavera was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of knowingly producing child pornography, also known as sexual exploitation of a minor, and knowingly possessing child pornography.
If convicted of the production/sexual exploitation charge, Lavera faces a sentence of no less than 15 and no more than 30 years in federal prison, plus between 5 years and a life term of supervised release. If convicted of the possession of child pornography charge, the potential punishment is up to 20 years in prison, and between 5 years and a life term of supervised release. Both crimes carry a maximum $250,000 fine as a potential punishment.
Lavera was taken into federal custody on Monday, October 6, 2014, by the U.S. Marshals Service. At the court appearance, U.S. Magistrate Judge Ross Walters ordered Lavera to remain in federal custody pending trial.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and Lavera is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The case has been investigated by a team that includes agents with Homeland Security Investigations at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, the Newton, Iowa, Police Department, and the Baxter, Iowa, Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the ‘Project Safe Childhood’ initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nation-wide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children.
Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.
Related Federal Cases
- Corbett Eugene Hayes, Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Illinois 2021 · Arkansas
- James Lee Johnson, Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Alabama 2026 · Ohio
- Edward Lee Raiburn, Child Exploitation, Iowa 2020 · Oklahoma
- Gerald Brian Hoard, Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor, Iowa 2022 · Arkansas
- Jacob Scott Watters, Receipt of Child Pornography, Iowa 2017 · Iowa
Key Facts
- State: Iowa
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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