State of Iowa v. Jesse Lee McCollaugh

Summary

The court affirmed McCollaugh’s conviction for child exploitation, holding that the statute requires proof of the defendant’s purpose in possessing or recording a depiction of a nude minor, not the minor’s purpose in being nude. The evidence, including the secret filming, the presence of other pornography, and McCollaugh’s admission of a sexual problem, sufficiently established his purpose for sexual gratification. The court also affirmed the sentence because the record did not show that the district court relied on the prosecutor’s unsupported speculation about how often McCollaugh viewed the videos.