An Iowa City man and Honduran national, Martin Edgardo Menjivar, was sentenced on March 26 to 42 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography.
The sentencing highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement to address crimes involving the exploitation of children. The case underscores the seriousness with which such offenses are prosecuted in federal court.
According to public court documents, Menjivar, age 59, produced and possessed material depicting the sexual abuse of children he had access to. A forensic examination conducted in April 2025 revealed that Menjivar used his cell phones to view and possess images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. He also faces a pending charge for Sexual Abuse, Second Degree, in the Iowa District Court for Johnson County.
After serving his prison sentence, Menjivar will be required to complete a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole available under the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa announced the sentencing. The investigation was conducted by the Iowa City Police Department and United States Marshals Service.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. Project Safe Childhood brings together resources from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices as well as state and local agencies to find offenders who exploit children online and rescue victims. More information about this initiative can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
