March 28, 2024

Two men sentenced to prison for child pornography

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Brian Lee Rhodes, 39, of Creston, and Jeremy Eugene Jameson, 46, of Atlantic were sentenced by United States District Court Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger for child pornography related offenses yesterday. Each defendant had earlier pleaded guilty to the charges.

Rhodes was sentenced to 30 years in prison on each of three counts of Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, and 20 years in prison for one count of Distribution of Child Pornography. The sentences will run concurrently. Rhodes’ imprisonment will be followed by a term of supervised release of 15 years for each count, also to run concurrently.

Jameson was sentenced to 35 months in prison, to be followed by a term of supervised release of five years for Access with Intent to View Child Pornography.

In March of 2018, a concerned parent made a report to the Creston Police Department regarding an inappropriate conversation she found on her 11 year-old daughter’s Facebook account with Rhodes. During a search of Facebook accounts created by Rhodes, officers located conversations with other minors in which Rhodes asked the minors to send him inappropriate images and videos. The Douglas County Nebraska Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation also received a tip from Facebook that Rhodes, through a fraudulent Facebook account, sent Jameson an image of child pornography.

During an interview with Union County Attorney Tim Kenyon in January, he confirmed 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.

This case was investigated by the Creston Police Department, Atlantic Police Department, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation - Internet Crimes Against Children Unit and the Douglas County Nebraska Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa.