Iowa man sentenced to federal prison for child exploitation charge following HSI investigation

DAVENPORT, Iowa — A judge sentenced a Cedar Rapids man on Feb. 28 to 108 months in prison for receipt of child exploitation material following a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) probe. He will pay $21,000 in restitution and serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.

According to court documents, the HSI investigation of Justin Richard Mezera, 34, began after someone filed a tip online saying the man used his Kik account to have child pornography related discussions. Law enforcement officials searched Mezera’s known residences in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City and located multiple devices containing child sexual abuse material, including those depicting masochistic conduct and infants or toddlers. Mezera admitted to possessing, accessing and receiving child pornography.

HSI Kansas City acting Special Agent in Charge Taekuk Cho and U.S. Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement.

HSI Kansas City investigated the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)

HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI’s workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI’s international presence represents DHS’s largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.

Learn more about HSI’s mission to combat child exploitation in your community on Twitter @HSIKansasCity.