Scott Devries, 57, from Hardy, Iowa, pled guilty April 20, 2026, to one count of possession of child pornography in federal court in Sioux City.At the plea hearing, Devries admitted that between January 2021 and August 2022, he possessed and received visual depictions of child pornography, which included prepubescent minors or a minor under the age of 12. While executing a search warrant, law enforcement discovered 20 electronic devices that contained child sexual abuse material. Forensic analysis of the devices found almost one million images of child pornography, some of which involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as infants and toddlers. 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.”Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Devries remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Devries faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.The case was investigated by Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Charles City Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation 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 25-3060. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice