Three men are facing sex crime charges in northeast Iowa after allegedly sending explicit messages and images to a person they thought was a 14-year-old girl.
The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) says 23-year-old Devin Howes of Hawkeye was arrested June 17th on one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – cause to engage in act, and one count of grooming, both Class D felonies, plus dissemination and exhibition of obscene material to minors, a serious misdemeanor.
On June 13th, FCSO also arrested 49-year-old Jon Jones of Dickens, Iowa, on the same charges, with 31-year-old Taylor Smith of Creston, Iowa, charged on June 18th with dissemination and exhibition of obscene material to minors, plus enticement of a minor under 16, a Class D felony.
According to criminal complaints, all three men are accused of chatting with an Undercover Officer (UC) on the social media site Reddit, during which, it was stated that the UC was 14-years-old. Yet, the suspects attempted to get the UC to send them pictures of the UC nude, with solicitation efforts continuing over several days from late May to early June.
Investigators say all three men sent pictures of themselves naked to the UC, with Smith also making plans to meet the UC at a park with intention of committing sexual acts. Creston Police officers made contact with Smith at the park, where he allegedly made admissions regarding the incident.
West Union Police assisted with the investigation, with Chief Paul Becthold posting a statement on social media: “These are deeply disturbing crimes, and we want the community to know that protecting our children remains our highest priority. Our department has spent countless hours investigating these cases and working alongside other agencies to build solid cases against these three suspects.”
Howes is being held in the Fayette County Jail on $30,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Wednesday (06.25) in Fayette County District Court.
Jones posted a $10,000 surety bond to be released from jail on Friday (06.20). He is slated for arraignment on June 30th.
Smith is being held in the Union County Jail on $6,000 cash or surety bond and is due for a preliminary hearing this Friday (06.27).
