A Little Sioux resident, Trevor John Collison, was sentenced on April 21 to 50 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of child pornography.
The case highlights ongoing efforts by law enforcement and federal prosecutors to address child sexual abuse crimes. After serving his sentence, Collison will also face a 10-year term of supervised release and must pay $15,000 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, law enforcement searched Collison’s Harrison County home and seized electronic devices. A forensic examination revealed that he used these devices to produce numerous hidden camera images and videos containing child sexual abuse material involving five minor victims.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Harrison County Sheriff’s Office, Council Bluffs Police Department, and Alaska State Patrol.
April marked National Child Abuse Prevention Month as well as the two-year anniversary of the Department of Homeland Security’s “Know2Protect: Together We Can Stop Online Child Exploitation” campaign. Resources are available at www.Know2Protect.gov.
This prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat online child exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa supports victims and witnesses through its services unit according to the official website (source). The office operates out of facilities located in Des Moines’ Neal Smith Federal Building as well as courthouses in Davenport and Council Bluffs (source). Functioning under the United States Department of Justice (source), it handles both civil and criminal cases on behalf of the United States (source), with jurisdiction covering all areas within its district (source). The office employs 24 prosecutors who work closely with law enforcement agencies throughout these regions (source).
Efforts like Project Safe Childhood reflect broader strategies aimed at preventing online exploitation while providing support for victims through partnerships between multiple agencies.
