(NIT photo)
CEDAR RAPIDS — This young man from Northern Iowa admitted downloading, hiding and paying for child porn images, and is now behind bars and facing decades in federal prison.
Isiah Michael Morse, 22, of Tripoli, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
Federal authorities said law enforcement officers searched Morse in January 2024 and seized his cellphone. Investigators discovered images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including prepubescent victims.
Evidence presented during an earlier court hearing showed Morse had paid to obtain child pornography on at least two occasions.
When questioned by investigators, Morse admitted downloading the illegal material and moving it into a hidden folder on his phone in an effort to conceal it.
During his guilty plea, Morse admitted receiving child pornography between November 2021 and November 2023. He also admitted possessing the material on his phone between May 2023 and January 2024.
Morse (pictured at top) was taken into custody by the United States Marshals Service immediately after entering his guilty plea. He will remain jailed while awaiting sentencing.
The receipt conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison. Morse faces a possible maximum combined sentence of 40 years, a fine of up to $500,000 and $62,200 in mandatory special assessments.
He could also be placed under federal supervision for the rest of his life after completing any prison sentence.
Sentencing before U.S. District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be scheduled after federal probation officers prepare a presentence investigation report.
The prosecution was brought under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide U.S. Department of Justice initiative targeting people who produce, distribute, receive or possess child sexual abuse material and those who prey upon children through the internet.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Devra T. Hake is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, FBI, Johnson County Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team and Bremer County Sheriff’s Office.