Des Moines Sun

A Kansas man was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison for transportation of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa.

Derek Levi Hendrickson, 33, transported three internet-capable computer devices across state lines in September 2022 when he moved to Waukee, Iowa. According to public documents and evidence presented at sentencing, these devices—two cell phones and a laptop computer—contained thousands of images and videos of child pornography. At the time of his offense, Hendrickson was a registered sex offender due to a 2015 Kansas state conviction for possession of child pornography.

Following his imprisonment, Hendrickson will serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Additionally, he has been ordered to pay $38,000 in restitution.

The case was investigated by the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Nebraska State Patrol.

This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. It marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet while also identifying and rescuing victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.