Earlier this week, Burlington police took a significant step in a long-term investigation into child pornography by arresting a local man. The inquiry began after authorities received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which led detectives to identify 43-year-old Carl Shirts II as a suspect.
Following thorough investigations and the execution of search warrants, the police gathered enough evidence to secure arrest warrants for Shirts. On September 4, 2025, around 7:30 a.m., he was apprehended and now faces serious charges in Des Moines County, including 56 counts of Child Pornography related to the purchase and possession of material depicting minors in sexual acts—classified as a Class D felony—and one count of Invasion of Privacy, which is considered an aggravated misdemeanor.
Shirts has since been taken to the Des Moines County Jail, where he is being held on bond as the case unfolds.
