Brian Lee Rhodes, 38, of Creston is in custody of federal officials to face charges based on allegations relating to internet crimes against children.
According to a Creston Police report, on March 13, 2018, Rhodes enticed an 11-year-old child to engage in sex acts with other children and tell him about it, or photograph or film it. During an investigation by Creston Police, with the assistance of the Department of Homeland Security, an online address, email and other electronic information tied to Rhodes was discovered.
County Attorney Tim Kenyon said he can confirm that Rhodes was taken into federal custody in mid-December, but was unable to provide further details. An affidavit filed by Kenyon on Jan. 11 states federal authorities have taken up the case, and the County case is now considered closed.
“Cases like this tend to overlap,” said Kenyon. “When there’s been a federal arrest warrant provided to us, local prosecution is not going to serve any benefit to the community.
Kenyon said it is more appropriate for this type of case to be handled by federal authorities.
“As far as resources, if the federal authorities are willing to take the case over, unless there is something local that we want to have some specific control over, we, as a general rule, defer to the federal authorities,” he said.
A representative from the Council Bluffs office of the U.S. attorney handling the case said personnel who handle media requests are considered non-essential, and because of the government shutdown, the office cannot provide further details. An update will be released as soon as it becomes available.