Burlington Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Pornography

DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Burlington man was sentenced on January 23, 2024, to 60 months in federal prison for possessing child pornography.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Donald Dale Ping, 53, was found to be in possession of child sexual assault material. Law enforcement received a cybertip that Ping had uploaded child sexual assault material to a social media platform. Due to the cybertip, a search warrant was executed on Ping’s social media account and cellular phone. The search warrant uncovered child sexual assault material including images of prepubescent children.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Ping will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the McHenry, Illinois Police Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.