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One count in child porn plea
by Gregory R. Norfleet · News · April 17, 2014


A West Branch man on Monday pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography from a collection of more than 20,000 images and 900 videos.


U.S. Marshals took Brady Verlo, 22, back into custody after the plea in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids, ending nine weeks in which he had been free with an ankle monitor.

At the plea hearing, Verlo admitted to distributing child pornography and that he had exchanged the images over the Web and through his cell phone from June to December 2013.

He also admitted that most of the children depicted in the images and videos included some younger than 12 years old; some showed adult males sexually abusing or sexually assaulting children who were tied up.

In the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to drop three other charges: one charge of receiving child pornography and two others on possessing child pornography.

Chief Judge Linda R. Reade will determine sentencing after a presentence report has been completed.

Verlo faces five to 20 years in prison and could be ordered to pay up to $250,000 in fines, a $100 fee, and, once released from incarceration, supervised release from five years to life. He would also have to register as a sex offender.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Tremmel and investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa City Police Department and the West Branch Police Department.

Verlo was defended by Alfred Willett and Keith J. Larson of Elderkin & Pirnie, PLC, of Cedar Rapids.

Willett argued in favor of Verlo remaining free until sentencing, but Tremmel argued against and Chief Magistrate Judge Jon S. Scoles agreed with the prosecution.

Verlo was arrested in January at Colonial Lanes; he worked there as well as at West Branch Community Day Care in the Kids Club after-school program. Verlo is not accused of producing child pornography or abusing any children at the day care. According to court documents, Verlo’s home was searched on Jan. 17-18.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Iowa, the case was brought forth as part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice.