Humboldt, Iowa, Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Child

Paul William Flett, age 44, from Humboldt, Iowa, pled guilty January 23, 2025, to one count to sexual exploitation of a child in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa.

In a plea agreement, Flett admitted he sent links and images of child pornography to underage girls and asked them to send images and videos of themselves to him. On June 6, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Flett's home and in a consensual interview Flett admitted he threw his phone in a closet when law enforcement showed up because he knew they were there for him. Forensic analysis of Flett's iPhone 12, computer, and Kik account discovered a total of 16 videos and 60 images of child pornography. The images and videos contained material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct, as well as prepubescent children, infants, and toddlers.

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Flett was taken into custody by the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Flett faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years' imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any imprisonment of 5 years to life.

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."

The case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber-Crime Unit, and Webster County Sheriff's Office in Missouri and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.

The case file number is 24-CR-03036. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.