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Des Moines area video production company owner arrested on child porn-related charges

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March 23rd, 2024 by Ric Hanson

WINDSOR HEIGHTS, Iowa [WHO-TV] — The owner of a Des Moines area video production company was booked into the Polk County Jail Thursday on multiple child pornography-related charges. 57-year-old Frederick Amundson, of West Des Moines, is charged with 22 counts of Purchase/Possess Depiction of Minor in Sex Act 1st Offense. The charges stem from an investigation started in April of 2022.

An application for a search warrant in the case said an employee at Gate House Pictures, located at 6611 University Avenue #104, contacted the Windsor Heights Police Department after finding images of child pornography in the trash file of a shared computer. The officer who responded to the initial call observed the photos on the computer.

Windsor Heights police spoke with Amundson, the owner of the business, a few days after the initial call. According to the application, Amundson admitted to possessing approximately 12 images of nude underage girls. He claimed he downloaded the photos onto a work computer.

The computer and other electronic storage devices were seized during the investigation and the FBI did a digital forensic examination, according to court documents. In February of this year, the FBI passed along evidence that 22 pictures depicting child pornography involving nude females between the ages of 6 and 12 had been found on Amundson’s computer.

A $100,000 cash-only bond has been set for Amundson. A no-contact order was also put in place prohibiting him from having contact with anyone under the age of 18. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 1.