(NIT photo)
CEDAR RAPIDS — A Northern Iowa man is facing federal prison after pleading guilty to receiving child pornography, months after authorities first arrested him on related state charges in Mitchell County.
Damon Wesley Powers, 44, of Osage, pleaded guilty in federal court in Cedar Rapids to one count of receipt of child pornography.
Federal prosecutors said evidence from a prior hearing showed law enforcement officers searched Powers’ home in Osage in June 2025. During that search, agents found child pornography on his phone, including depictions involving prepubescent children.
Authorities said Powers also stored hundreds of additional photos and videos of child pornography in a cloud-based account.
During an interview with law enforcement, Powers admitted he had sent and received child pornography, according to federal prosecutors.
The federal guilty plea follows earlier local charges reported by NIT in January. At that time, Osage police announced Powers had been arrested after a months-long investigation and a search warrant tied to child pornography allegations. NIT’s earlier story is available here: Osage man nabbed on child pornography charges.
Sentencing will be scheduled before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand after a presentence investigation report is prepared.
Powers remains in the custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing.
The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a possible maximum sentence of 20 years. Powers also faces a possible $250,000 fine and could be ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release after any prison sentence.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Federal officials said Project Safe Childhood brings together federal, state and local resources to identify, investigate and prosecute people who exploit children online, while also working to identify and rescue victims.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake.
The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Cyber Crime Bureau, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Osage Police Department.
Powers has pleaded guilty, but he has not yet been sentenced.