DES MOINES, Iowa – On May 2, 2019, Gregory Scott Stephen, age 43, of Monticello, Iowa, was sentenced by United States Northern District of Iowa Judge C.J. Williams to 180 years – the maximum statutory penalty – in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. Stephen pleaded guilty on October 18, 2018, to five counts of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of transportation of child pornography.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Williams stated the defendant “is a hands-on sexual abuser of children” who “exploited, manipulated, and abused children for almost two decades.” According to Judge Williams, defendant’s crime was “horrendous,” and the harm he caused his victims was “incalculable and profound.” Stephen was the former co-director of Barnstormers Basketball of Iowa. The Barnstormers operate youth basketball teams for athletes between fourth and twelfth grades. In addition to his administrative duties, Stephen also coached Barnstormer players.
“The Defendant exploited boys who looked up to him as a coach and mentor,” stated Krickbaum. “He had power over these kids, and he exploited that power. The sentence imposed today reflects the enormity of his crimes.” Krickbaum continued, “I want to thank the law enforcement officers and advocates who worked with the victims and their families. Most importantly, thank you to the victims who came forward to tell your stories. Your courage is inspiring.”
“The significant sentence imposed today is the result of law enforcement cooperation at the local, state, and federal levels,” stated Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Rick Rahn. “The DCI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who sexually exploit and abuse children.”
According to court documents, Stephen violated over 400 minor victims in a multitude of ways – he secretly recorded victims while they were nude, tricked victims into sending Stephen sexually explicit images and videos by impersonating a minor female online, and photographed victims’ genitals while the victims slept, and in some cases, photographed himself touching the victims’ genitals.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Monticello Police Department investigated this matter. This case was prosecuted by Southern District of Iowa Assistant United States Attorneys Clifford Cronk and Amy Jennings, who have been designated as Special Assistant United States Attorneys, based on the recusal of the Northern District of Iowa United States Attorney’s Office.
DES MOINES, Iowa – Gregory Scott Stephen, age 42, of Monticello, Iowa, pleaded guilty on October 18, 2018, to five counts of sexual exploitation of a child, one count of possession of child pornography, and one count of transportation of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Marc Krickbaum. This case is being prosecuted by Southern District of Iowa Assistant United States Attorneys Clifford Cronk and Amy Jennings, who have been designated as Special Assistant United States Attorneys, based on the recusal of the Northern District of Iowa United States Attorney’s Office.
Stephen’s sentencing date has yet to be scheduled before United States Northern District of Iowa Judge C.J. Williams. Stephen entered his guilty pleas pursuant to a conditional plea agreement, which permits Stephen to seek appellate review of the District Court’s October 4, 2018, Order denying Stephen’s motion to suppress evidence. Stephen pleaded guilty to all of the charges filed against him, and no charges were dismissed as part of plea agreement.
Stephen is the former co-director of Barnstormers Basketball of Iowa. The Barnstormers operate youth basketball teams for athletes between fourth and twelfth grades. In addition to his administrative duties, Stephen also coached Barnstormer players.
Stephen admitted in the plea agreement that he posed online as three different minor females and persuaded, induced, and enticed minor boys to send Stephen sexually explicit images of themselves. Specifically, while posing online as a teenaged female, Stephen contacted minor males, offered to exchange nude images with the minor males, and suggested the type of sexually explicit images the minor males should produce. Unbeknownst to the minor males, Stephen used a software application to record live transmissions made by the minor boys.
Stephen admitted in the plea agreement that he traveled with one minor male, aged 11 or 12 at the time, to basketball tournaments and games, and hosted the minor male at Stephen’s lake house in Delhi, Iowa. Stephen admitted he produced a visual depiction that shows Stephen with his mouth on or near the minor male’s genitals while Stephen touched the minor male’s genitals with his hand. That visual depiction was located by investigators on a hard drive possessed by Stephen.
Stephen admitted in the plea agreement he possessed on a hard drive approximately 400 file folders with titles in the last and then first names of different minor males. All of the folders contained visual depictions of nude minor males displaying their genitalia, and some depictions involved masturbation by the minor males. The visual depictions fell into three different genre: (1) nude minor males secretly recorded in various bathrooms; (2) still images and videos of minor males taken by the minors themselves and depicting the minors masturbating and/or displaying their genitalia – these minors were persuaded, induced, or enticed by Stephen to produce these visual depictions; and (3) visual depictions produced by Stephen of minor males unconscious with their pants pulled down and exposed. In some of the depictions in the third category, Stephen recorded himself touching the genitals of unconscious victims. Some of the file folders have only one category of visual depictions, while some have all three.
Stephen admitted in the plea agreement he used a hidden camera device to secretly record several nude boys in hotel rooms in Ankeny and Illinois. Stephen placed the recording device in hotel bathrooms pointed toward the shower area, so that it recorded minor males coming in and out of the shower. None of the minor males were aware they were being recorded.
Sexual exploitation of a child is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 30 years imprisonment. Possession of child pornography is punishable by a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment. Transportation of child pornography is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment. The sentences for each count could be ordered to run consecutively, meaning one after another, or concurrently, meaning at the same time. The maximum sentence Stephen could be ordered to serve is 180 years imprisonment. By statute, Stephen cannot receive a sentence less than 15 years imprisonment.
The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this matter. The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (“OVC”) and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa will join federal, state, and local communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 24-30 and features the theme, “Rights, access, equity, for all victims.”
As part of this observance, the Southern District of Iowa recognizes the courage and bravery of victims, and the outstanding work of law enforcement, victim advocates, and community service partners throughout Iowa. In particular, four individuals are recognized for outstanding service to victims. “These awards proudly recognize the exceptional efforts of four individuals providing assistance to federal and state victims in the Southern District of Iowa,” said United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal. “Advocacy for the rights and safety of victims is a cogent reminder of the long-term human impact of these crimes. The service of these four individuals, and other state and federal victim advocates, are a vital component of our criminal justice system.”
The 2022 Award for Excellence in Victim Services is awarded to Mills County Attorney’s Office Victim Witness Coordinator Sarah McGinnis. Sarah’s dedication to victims is inspirational and unmatched. She has been there for each victim at every step of the criminal process, and has provided hope, support, and advocacy to numerous victims in sex abuse cases. Sarah has tirelessly worked to raise community awareness of sexual abuse and human trafficking, including producing a sexual assault awareness video where victims describe in their own words how abuse has affected them, and how they survived abuse. Sarah has clearly made a difference in multiple victims’ lives.
The 2022 Award for Excellence in Victim Services is awarded to Polk County Crisis and Advocacy Services Victim Advocate Sara McMillan. Sara continues to provide selfless and dedicated advocacy to state and federal crime victims. Sara provided the highest quality of victim advocacy in support of two minor victims and their families in a federal hate crimes prosecution. Also, she spent countless hours with, and provided empathy and support for, sex trafficking victims in the federal prosecution of a sex trafficker. Based on her skills and experience, Sara was able to provide valuable guidance to the prosecution team and victims, and never stopped offering her time and attention. Throughout her career, Sara has always been and continues to be a fierce advocate for victims.
The 2022 Award for Excellence in Victim Services is awarded to Audubon County Crime Victim Coordinator Angie Baylor. Angie’s self-motivated passion for victims and survivors has been described as “second to none.” She continues to go above and beyond to raise public awareness for victims of crime with community outreach, brochures, events, and public speaking. Angie has partnered with Catholic Charities to host the Survivor Statements awareness project during April - Sexual Assault Awareness month. She has organized efforts to wear blue and support the Pinwheels for Prevention project for April - National Child Abuse Prevention month. “Shedding Light on Domestic Violence” was Angie’s creative theme for the Purple Porch Project in recognition during October - Domestic Violence Awareness month. Most importantly, Angie has exemplified passion in her support of crime victims, to be their advocate, and provided a listening ear and a helping hand at a time when it was most needed. Angie has provided hope to victims, and clearly raised public awareness in Audubon County.
The 2022 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes the performance of Iowa Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation, Special Agent Richard Vale. Special Agent Vale showed outstanding work in the federal sex trafficking investigation and prosecution of Darrius Redd. He epitomized exceptional dedication in locating multiple victims brutalized and trafficked by Redd. He not only performed his role as an investigator, but also demonstrated patience, empathy, and understanding with victims. As a result, this evidence provided a compelling case resulting in a guilty verdict at trial. Special Agent Vale went beyond the call of duty to assist victims in the Redd case, and the resulting conviction was largely the result of his commitment and service.
Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first Victims’ Rights Week in 1981, putting crime victims' rights, needs, and concerns in a prominent spot on the American agenda. He also established the President's Task Force on Victims of Crime, which laid the groundwork for a national network of services and legal safeguards for crime victims.
For more information on how to create your own public campaigns to raise awareness about crime victims’ rights online and at events throughout the year, please visit: https://ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw2022/overview.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, announced that Martin Lopez was sentenced to 9 years in prison. A federal jury convicted Lopez, 38, of Española, New Mexico, on Oct. 14, 2022, of one count each of carjacking and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
A federal grand jury indicted Lopez on March 12, 2021. According to court records, on Oct. 31, 2020, the victim, identified as Jane Doe 1, who had been dating Lopez, ended the relationship that morning. Later that same day, she and a friend, Jane Doe 2, attempted to deliver Lopez’s belongings to his friend who worked at an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts store in Española. As Jane Doe 1 was retrieving Lopez’s belongings from her vehicle, Lopez appeared, threatened both women with a gun, forced his way into the driver’s seat and drove away with the two Jane Does.
Lopez struck both victims with his gun as he drove to nearby apartment complex where he pushed Jane Doe 2 out of the moving vehicle. Lopez threatened to kill her if she called the police. Before being pushed out, Jane Doe 2 was able to dial 911. The 911 recording captured the victims’ terrified screams and was played for the jury at trial. Lopez continued to drive Jane Doe 1 to a secondary location for a period of time. Later, New Mexico State Police were able to locate the car, Jane Doe 1, and Lopez. However, when law enforcement arrived, Lopez fled the area in Jane Doe 1’s vehicle.
Lopez has prior domestic violence related misdemeanor convictions from 2014, wherein he was given a suspended sentence and his probation was revoked three times. Lopez has been arrested on at least four other occasions for felony charges, none of which resulted in a conviction. Lopez’s sentencing guidelines were calculated at 154 to 177 months. The United States requested a sentence of 177 months. The court imposed a sentence of 108 months (9 years) imprisonment.
The United States commends Jane Doe 2 and the other witnesses who testified in this case.
Upon his release from prison, Lopez will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Mexico State Police investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jaymie L. Roybal and Letitia Carroll Simms are prosecuting the case.
Anyone experiencing domestic violence or who knows someone experiencing domestic violence can reach an advocate at the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). In New Mexico, the Domestic Violence Resource Center is available by telephone at (505) 843-9123 or online at https://dvrcnm.org/.
