A man who sexually exploited a child and possessed child pornography was sentenced on July 23, 2019, to 40 years in federal prison.

John Hunt, age 35, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the sentence after an October 18, 2018, guilty plea to one count of sexual exploitation of a child and one count of possession of child pornography.  In a plea agreement, Hunt admitted that, between 2015 and 2017, he used, persuaded, induced, and enticed a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct to produce visual depictions, and that he threatened to distribute depictions of the minor.  In the plea agreement, Hunt also admitted to possessing child pornography, including depictions of prepubescent children. 

Hunt was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Hunt was sentenced to 480 months’ imprisonment.  A special assessment of $200 was imposed, and Hunt must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release.  He must 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 Cedar Rapids Police Department. 

This 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.  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. 

Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.  The case file number is CR 18-69. 

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John Hunt, age 34, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been charged with sexual exploitation of a child, possession of child pornography, and extortion.  The charges are contained in an Indictment filed on July 26, 2018, in United States District Court in Cedar Rapids. 

The Indictment alleges that, between 2015 and 2017, Hunt produced sexual depictions of a child, possessed child pornography on four different devices, and sent communications containing threats to distribute sexually explicit depictions. 

If convicted, Hunt faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 112 years’ imprisonment, a $1,500,000 fine, $25,600 in special assessments, and at least five years and up to life on supervised release following any imprisonment. 

Hunt appeared on August 1, 2018 in federal court in Cedar Rapids for a detention hearing and was held without bond.  Hunt’s next appearance for trial is set for October 1, 2018. 

As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and is being investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

This 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.  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 18-69.

Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.