Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Dubuque man has been sentenced to 42 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a child and distributing child pornography. John James Dixon, aged 41, received the sentence following his guilty plea on January 22, 2025, to charges of sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography.
Evidence presented at the sentencing hearing revealed that between August 2023 and May 2024, Dixon and his co-conspirator, Justin James Paisley, engaged in sexual acts with a prepubescent child. They documented these acts through photographs and videos and exchanged these images via text messages. Additionally, Paisley photographed another prepubescent child in sexually explicit conduct and sent this image to Dixon.
United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Dixon in Cedar Rapids. He was given a term of 504 months' imprisonment, ordered to pay $6,000 in special assessments, and will serve a five-year term of supervised release after completing his prison sentence. The federal system does not allow 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. The project involves collaboration among federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals who exploit children and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.
Dixon remains in the custody of the United States Marshal until he is transported to a federal prison.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake with investigations conducted by the Dubuque Police Department.
