Iowa man admits to harassing Mid-Missouri teenager online
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)
A southern Iowa man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to attempting to produce child pornography in a case involving a Callaway County teenager.
David J. Dodds, 60, of Corydon, Iowa, is also a registered sex offender convicted of showing obscene material to minors, the U.S. attorney's office said in a news release. He admitted Thursday to contacting the victim through an Instagram account when she was 13 and continuing to contact her through Facebook Messenger and her cellphone until she was 18, according to the release.
The victim's father contacted the Callaway County Sheriff's Office to report the activity in February 2020, the U.S. attorney's office says. Callaway County authorities booked him into jail there in July 2020.
Federal prosecutors say Dodds' behavior escalated over time and that he sent the victim obscene images of himself. Dodds asked the victim to send him photos, which she did when she was 14, according to the release.
The girl allegedly told investigators Dodds threatened her, her parents and her friends when she tried to cut off contact. She also said the harassment caused her significant anxiety and that Dodds monitored her family's Facebook posts.
The federal government and Dodds' attorney will both recommend a 15-year federal prison sentence without parole, the U.S. attorney's office said. Sentencing will be scheduled later.
