Storm Lake, Iowa, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Child Pornography

Defendant possessed over 100 videos of child pornography

A man who possessed child pornography was sentenced on May 12, 2020, to 5 years in federal prison.

Ariya Mangsanhanh., age 24, from Storm Lake, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 8, 2019, guilty plea to one count of possession of child pornography.

In a plea agreement, Mangsanhanh admitted that between January 2, 2017 and August 23, 2018, in the Northern District of Iowa, he knowingly possessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, some of which included visual depictions of minors under the age of 12. A search warrant served on Mangsanhanh’s residence led to the seizure of Mangsanhanh’s cell phones and computers. A subsequent forensic examination of those devices revealed that Mangsanhanh used a computer, cell phones, and Dropbox, to acquire and possess child pornography. Over 100 videos of child pornography were discovered in Mangsanhanh’s possession.

Mangsanhanh was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand.  Mangsanhanh was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment.  He must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term.  There is no parole in the federal system.

Mangsanhanh is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Duax and investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, and the Storm Lake Police Department.