Hawkeye Reporter

An Iowa City resident, Heath Ashley Harmon, 49, has been sentenced to 132 months in federal prison for the receipt of child pornography. The sentencing follows an investigation into Harmon's activities on the BitTorrent network, where law enforcement determined he was distributing child sexual abuse material between August 2023 and January 2024.

During a search of Harmon's residence, authorities seized multiple electronic devices. A forensic analysis revealed that child pornography was stored on seven devices, including a laptop, two phones, SD cards, and other storage media.

After serving his prison sentence, Harmon will be subject to eight years of supervised release. He has also been ordered to pay $35,000 in restitution. Federal law does not allow for parole.

The case was prosecuted by United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa and investigated by the Johnson County Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team.

The prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute those who exploit children online and works to identify and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.