Des Moines Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

DES MOINES, Iowa - A Des Moines man was sentenced on Friday, July 26, 2024, to 120 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.

According to public court documents, Jon-Richard Stamatelos, 63, possessed four internet capable computer devices in October 2023. Three of those devices-two cell phones and a tablet computer-contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. At the time of his offense, Stamatelos was a registered sex offender due to a 2023 state conviction for possession of child pornography in the Iowa District Court for Polk County. Stamatelos was found in possession of child pornography approximately seven months after he was sentenced in state court.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Stamatelos will be required to serve ten years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Stamatelos was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, and Iowa's Fifth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services.

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.