Iowa Man Charged with Production and Distribution of Child Pornography

CAMDEN, N.J. – An Iowa man is scheduled to appear in court today on charges of producing and distributing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Donavon Oliphant, 37, of Independence, Iowa, is charged by criminal complaint with one count of producing visual depictions of a child engaged in sexually explicit conduct and one count of distribution of child pornography. Oliphant is expected to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio in Camden federal court.

According to documents filed in this case:

In August 2019, Oliphant produced 11 images and four videos of child pornography. The videos depicted sexual acts involving a pre-pubescent child and an adult male. Oliphant then used a peer-to-peer file-sharing program to share these images and videos with an individual located in Gloucester County, New Jersey.

Oliphant was arrested on Oct. 15, 2019, in Iowa and was detained without bail following an appearance before a federal magistrate judge in Cedar Rapids.

The production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The distribution of child pornography offense carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Special Agent Brian Michael, with the investigation leading to today’s charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman and Deputy U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Skahill of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.

The charges and allegations in the complaint are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.