Timothy T. Duax U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa
A Cedar Rapids man has pleaded guilty to charges related to the sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography. Dawson Sanderson, 24, entered his plea on November 13, 2025, in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
During the plea hearing, Sanderson admitted that in 2021 he persuaded minors to produce and send him sexually explicit images. He also acknowledged possessing child pornography.
Sentencing will take place before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams after a presentence report is completed. Until then, Sanderson remains in the custody of the United States Marshal. The offenses carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and could result in up to 40 years' imprisonment, a fine of $500,000, special assessments totaling $67,200, and supervised release for five years to life following any incarceration.
"This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims," according to information from prosecutors.
More details about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.
