U.S. Attorney Timothy Duax | U.S. Department of Justice
A man from North Liberty, Iowa, has pled guilty in federal court to charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child. Benjamin Paul Egli, 30, was convicted on one count of conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and one count of possession of child pornography.
During court proceedings and in a plea agreement, Egli admitted that he used Snapchat in 2023 to make video calls during which another person engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a toddler at his request. Egli recorded these acts and saved the videos on his phone. He also possessed other child sexual abuse material involving children performing sexual acts on animals and engaging in sadistic and masochistic conduct.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project involves federal, state, and local resources to prosecute offenders and rescue victims. More information about this initiative can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Egli's sentencing will be determined after a presentence report is prepared by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Until then, Egli remains in custody under the United States Marshal's supervision. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment with potential for up to 50 years, alongside fines totaling $500,000, special assessments amounting to $77,200, and a life term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The prosecution is led by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake. The investigation involved the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Tipton Police Department (TPD), and the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team.
