Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Sioux City resident, Uriah Jordan Buffalo Chief-Torrez II, has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison following his guilty plea to charges of receipt and possession of child pornography. The sentence was handed down on May 15, 2025.
The investigation revealed that Buffalo Chief-Torrez was involved in the receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material. Between September and October 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided law enforcement with six CyberTip reports from Synchronoss indicating that he had uploaded approximately 56 files containing such material. During a law enforcement interview, Buffalo Chief-Torrez admitted to interactions on social media platforms where individuals attempted to sell him child pornography. He confessed that transactions occurred on Telegram for $65 per video and acknowledged viewing multiple videos.
Further forensic analysis confirmed that Buffalo Chief-Torrez's phone contained 24 images and 56 videos depicting sadistic or masochistic conduct involving infants and toddlers.
U.S. District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Buffalo Chief-Torrez in Sioux City to a 90-month imprisonment term. In addition, he is required to pay $4,200 in restitution and assessments and will undergo a five-year supervised release after serving his prison sentence. The federal system does not offer parole.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project coordinates efforts across federal, state, and local levels to prosecute offenders and rescue victims.
Buffalo Chief-Torrez remains in the custody of the United States Marshal until his transfer to a federal prison facility.
