Trending
A Toledo man is facing a total of 10 felony charges after an extensive investigation into allegations that he possessed child pornography and the prior execution of a search warrant on July 30.
Ronald Wyatt Langbecker Jr., 19, has been charged with 10 counts of purchase/possession of a depiction of a minor in a sex act, each a Class D felony, and the warrant for his arrest issued Aug. 31 was served the following day.
Bond has been set at $30,000 cash or surety, and as this issue went to press, Langbecker remained in custody at the Tama County Jail with a preliminary hearing set for Friday, Sept. 11 at 9 a.m.
Tama County Sheriff Casey Schmidt issued a statement about the arrest on the department's Facebook page, describing the allegations, which are publicly available through Iowa Courts Online filings, as "extremely disturbing."
"We are intentionally not going to describe them further. There is no benefit to publicly repeating graphic and disturbing allegations involving children. There are victims, families, and innocent people to consider as well," he wrote. "We also have to be mindful that this case has now moved into the court system. These are allegations that have not been proven, and Langbecker is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. What we say publicly can reach potential jurors, and we will not risk unnecessarily affecting the judicial process. Justice needs to be based on the evidence presented in court."
He credited the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force for leading this investigation from the beginning and said the Tama County Sheriff's Office joined it after becoming an ICAC affiliate while the investigation was already underway.
"The work these investigators do cannot be overstated. They routinely have to see and examine some of the most vile and disturbing evidence imaginable involving the exploitation of children," Schmidt said. "They do it because somebody has to identify victims, follow the evidence, and investigate these crimes. It is difficult, necessary, and incredibly important work. They deserve tremendous credit for what they do every day, much of which the public will never see or hear about."
He also thanked the Toledo Police Department and other partners for their assistance.
"To protect the integrity of the pending prosecution, the Tama County Sheriff's Office will not provide additional information at this time," the post concludes.