Source: United States Attorneys General 7
Des Moines, IA – Russell Glenn Crane, age 44, of Urbandale, was sentenced today to 78 months in prison following his guilty plea to a charge of Possession of Child Pornography. Crane must also serve a five-year term of supervised release following his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on or about January 6, 2022, Crane knowingly possessed visual depictions of child pornography, including over 20,000 images and at least four videos, some of which depicted minors younger than 12 years old. Using several electronic devices, Crane had collected the child pornography over the course of at least a decade by downloading the material from various internet sites.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Urbandale Police Department, Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Essley prosecuted the case.
The 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.