DAVENPORT, Iowa – A man from eastern Iowa was sentenced Wednesday to 12-years in prison for possession of child pornography. 55-year old Ricki Charles Hess, of North Liberty, was also ordered to serve five-years of supervised release, following the term of his imprisonment.  He was also ordered to pay $9,000 in restitution and $100 to the Crime Victims’ Fund. Hess must also comply with the terms of the Iowa Sex Offender Registry requirements, upon his release from custody.

The U-S Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa reports that on August 19, 2019, Hess pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. The investigation began in August 2017 when the North Liberty Police Department received a cyber-tip from the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force relating to Hess. Agents searched Hess’s residence and seized several electronic devices. A forensic analysis was conducted on Hess’s HP computer, a hard drive, and a cellular phone and it revealed numerous images of child pornography. In excess of 160 video files and more than 30 images of child pornography were found in Hess’ possession.

The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and National Center  for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), with assistance from the North Liberty Police
Department and ICAC. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern  District of Iowa.
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