A southeast Iowa man has been charged with multiple felonies related to child sexual exploitation material following an investigation by the Henry County Sheriff’s Office and the Internet Crimes Against Children task force.
Ryan David Williams, 33, with addresses listed in Washington and Wayland, faces five counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor — Promote Film, a Class C felony, as well as Conspiracy to Commit a Non-Forcible Felony and Possession of Depiction of a Minor in a Sex Act, both Class D felonies.
According to court documents, the investigation began after the messaging app Kik filed multiple reports with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children between October and December 2024. Those reports flagged 38 files of apparent child sexual abuse material and 29 additional unconfirmed files linked to three Kik accounts. Investigators traced those accounts to a Gmail address that was subsequently subpoenaed; Google confirmed the account belonged to Williams.
Henry County Chief Deputy Jesse Bell was notified of the investigation in March 2025 through the ICAC Law Enforcement Portal. Search warrants were executed on the Kik accounts, the associated Gmail account, a U.S. Cellular phone account, and Williams’ residence in Wayland. During a search of the residence, court records allege Williams confirmed ownership of the email account and acknowledged having previously used Kik.
Court documents describe one video file shared through a Kik account that depicted a prepubescent female, estimated to be between 10 and 14 years old, in a sexual act. The file was sent to another Kik user in November 2024.
Williams is being held on a $50,000 cash or surety bond in Henry County. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 24th.