Clarence Man Sentenced To Ten Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor

A man who attempted to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity was sentenced today to ten years in federal prison.

Jason Koontz, age 34, of Clarence, Iowa, received the sentence after a July 18, 2019, guilty plea to one count of attempted enticement of a minor.  At the plea hearing, Koontz admitted that, in July 2017, he attempted to persuade, induce, or entice a person who he believed to be a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.

Koontz was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams.  Koontz was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment.  A special assessment of $100 was imposed, and Koontz must also serve a five-year term of supervised release.  He must comply with all sex offender registration and public notification requirements.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Hiawatha Police Department, and the Marion Police Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.  For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.