Rockford Man Sent to Federal Prison for Child Pornography Offense

A man who distributed, received, and possessed child pornography was sentenced today to more than seven years in federal prison. Anthony Paul Harden, age 48, from Rockford, Iowa, received the prison term after a February 23, 2026, guilty plea to receipt of child pornography.

Evidence at court hearings in the case showed that in August 2025, law enforcement officers searched Harden's home in Rockford. They seized four electronic devices that contained child pornography. Between May 2023 and July 2025, Harden received and possessed hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including depictions of infants and sadistic and masochistic conduct. He also distributed child pornography to undercover law enforcement computers.

Harden was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Harden was sentenced to 90 months' imprisonment and was ordered to make $3,000 in restitution to a victim in the case. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.

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/pscLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link.. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/pscLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link. and click on the tab "resources."

Harden is being held in the United States Marshal's custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Floyd County Sheriff's Office.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.plLinks to other government and non-government sites will typically appear with the "external link" icon to indicate that you are leaving the Department of Justice website when you click the link..

The case file number is 25-CR-2065.

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