SAC CITY, IOWA – This Northern Iowa man put his hands where they should never go, and now he is going to a place he never wanted to go.
On January 31, 2025, Galva, Iowa resident Ethan Lamonte Otto was convicted of committing lascivious acts with a child, a class “C” felony. This a violation of Iowa code 709.8(1)(a), which states, “It is unlawful for any person sixteen years of age or older to perform any of the following acts with a child with or without the child’s consent unless married to each other, for the purpose of arousing or satisfying the sexual desires of either of them: Fondle or touch the pubes or genitals of a child.”
Authorities say the charge stemmed from an incident in Sac County in June 15, 2019, in Sac City. District Court Judge Christopher Polking sentenced Otto (pictured at top) to a 10-year prison term – the maximum allowed under Iowa law and placed him on the Iowa Sex Offender Registry for life.
The Sac City Police Department investigated the matter with assistance from the Ida County Sheriff’s Office. The Sac County Attorney, Ben Smith, prosecuted the case.
