Des Moines Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor

DES MOINES, Iowa - A Des Moines man was sentenced on Thursday, July 25, 2024, to 72 months in federal prison for attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.

According to public court documents, Carl Edward Gentry, 38, engaged in a Facebook conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old female for approximately ten months. Gentry then began a separate Facebook conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old female. During each of the conversations, Gentry graphically described the sex acts he wished to perform upon the females if they met him in person. Gentry also sent graphic images of his exposed genital area to the 13-year-old female using a texting application.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Gentry will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, and the Altoona Police Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.