Mason City Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation, Firearm Charges

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Mason City man has pleaded guilty in federal court to multiple charges involving child exploitation, child pornography, and possession of a stolen firearm.

Parker Jon Thompson, 20, entered guilty pleas to sexual exploitation of children, possession of child pornography, and possession of a stolen firearm during a hearing in Cedar Rapids.

According to court records, the case stems in part from a June 2025 burglary at a Mason City gun shop. Authorities say Thompson helped plan the burglary with others, who later stole several firearms and provided at least two of them to him.

During the investigation, law enforcement officers searched Thompson’s phone and discovered child pornography. Further investigation revealed that Thompson had recorded minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and solicited at least one child to send sexually explicit images.

At his plea hearing, Thompson admitted that between March 2024 and September 2025, he persuaded and enticed minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions. He also admitted to possessing child pornography between June 2024 and April 2025, and to possessing a stolen firearm in June 2025.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative coordinates federal, state, and local resources to identify offenders and protect victims.

The investigation was also conducted in connection with Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative targeting violent crime and transnational criminal organizations.

Thompson remains in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. A sentencing date has not yet been set and will be scheduled following the completion of a presentence investigation report.

He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and could receive up to 50 years. Additional penalties may include substantial fines, special assessments, and a lifetime term of supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devra T. Hake and Kyndra Lundquist. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Mason City Police Department, the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.