Cameron S. Hurd, a 34-year-old resident of Council Bluffs, Iowa, has been sentenced for his involvement in the distribution and receipt of child pornography. The sentencing took place on December 13, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter Jr. imposed a sentence of 84 months' imprisonment on Hurd. Following his prison term, he will undergo a five-year period of supervised release.
United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Hurd was also ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution to four victims identified as part of his criminal activities. "There is no parole in the federal system," noted Lehr.
The case originated from an investigation by the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP), which began after receiving a "cyber tip" from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). This tip concerned suspicious internet activity linked to Hurd's IP address. According to NCMEC's report to NSP, 16 files containing child pornography were uploaded via Kik Messenger around November 19, 2021.
On August 25, 2022, NSP executed a search warrant at Hurd’s residence in Douglas County, Nebraska. Investigators confiscated his cellphone for further examination. A forensic analysis revealed approximately 30 videos related to child pornography stored on the device through the Kik Messenger app.
This case was prosecuted under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative established by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse nationwide. The project combines resources from various levels of government to apprehend and prosecute offenders while identifying and rescuing victims.
The Nebraska State Patrol conducted the investigation into this case.