Van Wert Man Sentenced to 120 Years in Prison for Production of Child Pornography

DES MOINES, IA – On September 8, 2016, Timothy Ryan Zollman, 31, of Van Wert, Iowa, was sentenced by Senior United States District Court Judge Robert W. Pratt to 120 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for committing two counts of production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel.

According to evidence presented at sentencing, Zollman sexually assaulted and exploited ten prepubescent girls and video recorded the assaults. Zollman’s sentence was enhanced because he committed these crimes while he was listed on the Iowa Sex Offender Registry for a prior conviction.

"The evidence in this case showed Timothy Zollman is a dangerous predator," said United States Attorney Kevin E. VanderSchel. "He was brought to justice because one of his victims, a young girl, was brave enough to report his criminal actions. The significant term of incarceration Zollman will serve is appropriate and necessary to protect the public and other potential victims."

This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, United States Marshals Service, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, Decatur County Sheriff’s Department, Decatur County Attorney’s Office, Ringgold County Sheriff’s Department, Creston Police Department, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and the South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation.

The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the United States Department of Justice’s "Project Safe Child" initiative, which was started in 2006 as a nationwide effort to combine law enforcement investigations and prosecutions, community action, and public awareness in order to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children.

Any persons having knowledge of a child being sexually abused are encouraged to call the Iowa Sexual Abuse Hotline at 1-800-284-7821.