DES MOINES, Iowa – An Ames man was sentenced on September 11, 2026, to 27 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Luke Stephen Crouse, 35, met a minor in an online chatroom and coerced that minor over a period of months into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos. Crouse also sent the minor sexually explicit photos and videos of himself. Crouse has two prior child exploitation convictions for nearly identical conduct in online chatrooms with persons he believed to be minors who were undercover agents posing as 14-year-old girls.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Crouse will be required to serve a 10‑year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
In April 2025, Crouse was convicted of six counts of attempted indecent liberties with child under age 15, one count of production of child pornography, and two counts of proposing a sex act via a communication system to a minor less than age 15, in the Virgina Circuit Court for Rockbridge County, which was ordered to be served consecutively to the federal sentence.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
