A Bettendorf man, Jacob Lawson Bertrand, was sentenced on March 17 to 200 months in federal prison for receipt of child pornography and an additional 24 months for violating the terms of his supervised release.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address repeat offenses related to child sexual exploitation. Bertrand, age 35, was already under federal supervision following a previous conviction for possession of child pornography in 2016.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Bertrand was found with an unauthorized cell phone while living at a Davenport residential reentry center in October 2024. A forensic examination revealed that he used the device to receive, view, and possess more than 3,000 images and 600 videos containing child sexual abuse material. Authorities also discovered that Bertrand maintained social media accounts used to communicate with minors and failed to report these accounts as required by the Iowa Sex Offender Registry.
The court determined that Bertrand had violated the conditions of his supervised release multiple times since his initial release from prison in April 2021. His supervised release was previously revoked in April 2022 and January 2024. The most recent term began in June 2024 before this latest violation occurred.
After serving his prison sentence, Bertrand will be subject to a ten-year term of supervised release. He has also been ordered to pay $72,000 in restitution. There is no parole available in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa announced the sentence and credited the Scott County Sheriff’s Office with investigating the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
