An Iowa City resident has been sentenced to over 16 years in federal prison for offenses related to child pornography. Evan Robert Steinberg, aged 26, was found guilty of receiving and distributing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement seized electronic devices from Steinberg's residence in December 2021. A forensic examination revealed that these devices were used to solicit, receive, and distribute images and videos of child sexual abuse.
Steinberg's five devices contained hundreds of explicit images and videos involving minors, including prepubescent males as young as under one year old engaged in sex acts with adults. Following his prison term, Steinberg will undergo a five-year supervised release period. He is also required to pay $8,000 in assessments.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal from the Southern District of Iowa. The University of Iowa Police Department and the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team conducted the investigation.
This case falls under Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. This project combines efforts from various levels of law enforcement to locate and prosecute offenders who exploit children online while working to identify and rescue victims.
For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
