Sioux City, Iowa — A 65-year-old Spirit Lake man will spend 13-years in a federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of Possession of Child Pornography.
According to federal prosecutors, Paul Frances Hicks admitted that on September 8, 2016, he possessed visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including a depiction involving a minor under 12 years of age.
Prosecutors say during the execution of a search warrant at Hick’s residence on September 8, 2016, law enforcement seized an HP laptop computer. The computer was forensically examined and contained at least 146 images of child pornography.
In addition to the 13-year prison term, the judge ordered Hicks to serve 5-years of supervised release following his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Hicks is being held in the custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
