Iowa Sex Offender Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Prison for Child Enticement Crimes

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A Muscatine, Iowa, man, Nicholas Bryan Swank, 32, was sentenced on January 6, 2022, to a total of 210 months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempted enticement of a minor, traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, and soliciting an obscene visual depiction of a minor.

Swank pleaded guilty in July 2021. According to court documents, Swank began communicating online with an individual he believed to be a 15-year-old child. After arranging to meet with the intended victim and asking for explicit photographs, Swank traveled from Muscatine, Iowa, to Rock Island, Illinois, where he was ultimately arrested by federal agents and local law enforcement. At the time of his arrest, Swank was under the supervision of the court in relation to sentences out of the state of Iowa for Theft – Third Degree, Domestic Abuse Assault with Strangulation (1^st Offense, No Injury), and two separate instances of a Violation of Sex Offender Registry Requirements (First Offense).

Swank has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals since his arrest in November 2020.

“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to prosecuting those who seek to sexually exploit children,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “These are serious crimes that inflict great harm on some of the most vulnerable members of our community, and they merit serious sentences. We also urge parents and guardians to remain vigilant and monitor their children’s online activities.”

This sentence reflects the serious nature of the offense and acts as tangible proof of our commitment to safeguard the children in our communities.  The FBI appreciates our collaborative law enforcement partnerships as we work together to stop those who seek to harm our children. said David Nanz, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Office.

Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sara Darrow imposed concurrent 210-month sentences of imprisonment on each count. In pronouncing Swank’s sentence, Chief Judge Darrow commented on the real danger Swank posed to the community and noted her hope that his sentence would deter others from engaging in the same conduct.

The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Division, with assistance from Rock Island Police and Illinois State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer L. Mathew represented the federal government in the prosecution.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.