Cass County, Iowa Man Sentenced for Child Pornography Offense

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA – A Cass County man, Aaron William Butcher, age 34, was sentenced on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, to seven years in prison for Receipt of Child Pornography.

In February of 2021, a cybertip was sent to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child pornography being uploaded to a Dropbox account. The email address was traced to Butcher and law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for his Dropbox account and his residence in Atlantic, Iowa. Butcher’s electronic devices were forensically analyzed and contained images and videos of child pornography. Forensic examination also located numerous conversations between Butcher and individuals he believed to be teenagers. Butcher asked for images and videos of child pornography in exchange for money.

Butcher was sentenced to 84 months in prison. He must also serve a seven-year term of supervised release after the prison term and register as a sex offender. There is no parole in the federal system. Butcher was also ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Cass County Sheriff’s Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Internet Crimes Against Children Unit investigated the case.

This case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Iowa.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. For more information about Project Safe Childhood and resources about internet safety, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.