A Clinton, Iowa man has been sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for receipt and attempted production of child pornography. Eric Jensen Salter, 37, was found to have received files containing child sexual abuse material after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received CyberTips linked to his account.
Law enforcement searched Salter’s residence in Clinton and seized electronic devices. The investigation determined that Salter used his email account to seek out, receive, view, and possess child pornography, including material involving prepubescent children. Authorities also found that between May and October 2018, Salter engaged in an email exchange with a sixteen-year-old female. During this period, he attempted to persuade or entice the minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions by requesting sexually explicit images from her.
Salter will be required to serve a ten-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. He was also ordered to pay $8,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa announced the sentence. The case was investigated by the Clinton County Sheriff's Office, Davenport Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program coordinates federal, state, and local resources to identify offenders who exploit children online and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
