A man who sexually exploited children and received child pornography pled guilty on March 23, 2026, in federal court in Cedar Rapids. Steven William Acklin, age 28, formerly from Waterloo, Iowa, was convicted of sexual exploitation of children and receipt of child pornography.

At the plea hearing, Acklin admitted that between January 2024 and September 2024, Acklin persuaded, induced, and enticed multiple minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct. Between October 2023 and November 2024, he received child pornography.

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."

Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Acklin remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Acklin faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years' imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 50 years' imprisonment, a $500,000 fine, and a lifetime of supervised release following any imprisonment.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 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-2058. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.