Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
Samantha Meyer-Davis, aged 32, has pled guilty in federal court to charges of sexual exploitation of a child. The former middle school teacher from Rutland, Iowa, admitted during her plea hearing on April 30, 2025, to engaging in the illicit conduct between May 2022 and November 2023.
In her confession, Meyer-Davis acknowledged not only exploiting the student but also sharing and displaying obscene material to the victim. Despite numerous meetings and warnings with school administrators regarding her conduct, Meyer-Davis initially denied any inappropriate relationship with the student. She changed her stance only after being presented with photographic evidence showing her kissing the undressed student. Authorities revealed that the teacher and the victim exchanged more than 130 photographs and over 60 videos depicting child pornography, some involving sadistic and masochistic content.
This legal action is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative by the Department of Justice initiated in May 2006. The program is led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices in collaboration with the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. It aims to address the increasing issue of child sexual exploitation and abuse across the country. It coordinates efforts at federal, state, and local levels to identify, apprehend, and prosecute offenders, as well as to rescue victims.
More details regarding Project Safe Childhood are available on the Department of Justice's website. Additional information on Internet safety education can also be found on the same site under the “resources” tab.
