A Tripoli man has pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges in the Northern District of Iowa, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Isiah Michael Morse, 22, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers searched Morse in January 2024 and seized a cellphone that contained images and videos of child pornography, including material involving prepubescent children. Authorities said Morse paid for the material on at least two occasions and admitted during an interview that he downloaded the content and stored it in a hidden folder on his phone.
Morse admitted in court that he received child pornography between November 2021 and November 2023 and possessed it between May 2023 and January 2024.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation.
Sentencing will be scheduled after a presentence report is completed. Morse remains in custody pending sentencing and faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years, along with possible fines and supervised release.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies, including the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Devra T. Hake.
The full press release is below;
