Priest Morris, a 21-year-old resident of Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced in federal court on September 12, 2025, to more than five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography. Morris entered his guilty plea on May 1, 2025.
According to evidence presented during the plea and sentencing hearings, Morris used several social media and messaging applications—including Discord, Twitter, Telegram, and Snapchat—between January and August 2024 to receive, distribute, and possess visual depictions of child pornography. The materials included images involving prepubescent minors and children under the age of 12.
The investigation began when the Sioux City Police Department received two CyberTips about a Snapchat account uploading child pornography. Law enforcement traced the account back to Morris. When officers executed a search warrant on his electronic devices, Morris admitted that he had received and possessed child pornography and indicated that such material would be found on his phone and iPad. Forensic analysis revealed that Morris possessed over 1,500 images and six videos depicting child pornography. Some of these materials portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct as well as infants and toddlers.
The case is part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The program brings together federal, state, and local resources to identify offenders who exploit children online and rescue victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood can be found at www.usdoj.gov/psc.
“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 and click on the tab “resources.””
