Iowa Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography

Chris Kurt, a 44-year-old resident of Lake Park, Iowa, has pled guilty to possessing child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The plea was entered on October 5, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City.

Kurt admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography from January 1, 2017, through June 23, 2025. During this period, he backed up over 103 videos and 132 images of child pornography to his cloud storage. A forensic review of electronic devices seized from his residence revealed an additional cache of over 10,000 images and 1,000 videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

The U. S. Attorney's Office noted that some of the material involved prepubescent minors, including those under the age of 12, and depicted sadistic or masochistic conduct, as well as the sexual abuse or exploitation of infants or toddlers.

Kurt confessed to routinely making screen recordings on his phone while visiting websites containing CSAM. He also admitted to law enforcement that he was unaware of the full extent of the CSAM on his devices due to the volume he had downloaded over the years.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project aims to marshal federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.

Kurt faces a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment. He remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing, which will be scheduled after a presentence report is prepared.

The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Lake Park Police Department, and the Dickinson County Sheriff's Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.

Sentencing will take place before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Further details about the case can be accessed through the court's electronic filing system.