Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 11 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

Joshua Pedersen, 46, from Moville, Iowa, was sentenced July 28, 2023, to 11 years in federal prison for Possession of Child Pornography.

Evidence in the case established that between November 2018, and December 2019, Pedersen used Internet-based, peer-to-peer (P2P) networks “Kik” and “Skout” to knowingly receive and distribute child pornography.  Pedersen also admitted he distributed child pornography to a minor to persuade the minor to create and send him child pornography.  Pedersen has a prior conviction for Dissemination and Exhibition of Obscene Materials to Minors, and multiple convictions for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender.

Pedersen was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 132 months’ imprisonment.  He was also fined a total of $5,000.  Pedersen must also serve a 5-year term of supervised released following the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.

Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. 

The case file number is 22-3017. 

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