A man from Independence, Iowa, has been sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography. Curtis Lellig, 42, received the sentence after pleading guilty on August 25, 2025, to one count of distribution of child pornography.
During his plea hearing, Lellig admitted that he knowingly distributed child pornography between December 2022 and January 2024. The sentencing took place in Cedar Rapids before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams.
Lellig was sentenced to 151 months in prison and ordered to pay $66,000 in restitution to 20 victims depicted in the material he possessed. He will also serve a five-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment. There is no parole available in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel. The investigation involved the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Independence Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol.
