Jacob Lawson Bertrand, a 35-year-old resident of Bettendorf, was sentenced on March 17 to 200 months in federal prison for receipt of child pornography and an additional 24 months for violating the terms of his supervised release.
The case highlights ongoing efforts to address child sexual exploitation. Bertrand had previously been convicted in 2016 for possession of child pornography and was on federal supervised release at the time of his latest offenses.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Bertrand was found with an unauthorized cell phone while living at a Davenport residential reentry center in October 2024. A forensic examination revealed that he used the device to receive, view, and possess more than 3,000 images and 600 videos containing child sexual abuse material. He also maintained social media accounts used to communicate with minors and failed to report these accounts as required by the Iowa Sex Offender Registry.
The court determined that Bertrand violated the conditions of his supervised release. His previous sentence included a 78-month term for possession of child pornography, after which he was released from prison in April 2021. His supervised release was revoked twice before—once in April 2022 and again in January 2024—with his most recent term beginning in June 2024.
Following completion of his new prison sentence, Bertrand will be subject to a ten-year term of supervised release. There is no parole available under the federal system. He has also been ordered to pay $72,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa announced the sentencing and credited the Scott County Sheriff's Office with investigating the case. The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at https://www.justice.gov/psc.
