Pennsylvania Man Sentenced On Federal Child Exploitation Charges Involving Iowa Minor
DAVENPORT, Iowa - On December 10, 2007, Jason Edward Stella, age 30, formerly of Kunkletown, Pennsylvania was sentenced by United States District Court Judge John A. Jarvey to 195 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor, announced United States Attorney Matthew G. Whitaker. Stella was also ordered to serve twenty years supervised release upon release from prison. Stella was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Crime Victims Fund.
From October 2005 to June 1, 2006, Stella made numerous contacts by telephone, cellular phone, and over the internet with a 15 year old minor female who lived in Scott County. Stella, who was 28 at the time, lived in Pennsylvania. Stella met the minor playing a game called Diablo over the internet, and began communicating with the minor via Microsoft Network, America Online Instant Messenger, and Yahoo. The minor told Stella she was only 15 years old at the time of initial contact.
In approximately November 2005, Stella asked the minor if she had a webcam. The minor told Stella she had a digital camera that could be used as a webcam, but did not want to use it. Stella continued to ask the minor to hook up the digital camera and eventually she gave in. Stella purchased his own webcam a week later. After getting the web cam, Stella began pressuring the minor to show her body. Via the internet and cellphone conversations, Stella made numerous comments complimenting her physical appearance and initiated conversations about sexual topics. Stella regularly and repeatedly showed himself naked over the web cam and pressured the minor to show herself, claiming it was a “matter of trust.” When the minor refused, Stella continued to verbally pressure the minor and repeatedly showed himself naked over the webcam. After several months, Stella persuaded the minor to show herself in various states of undress over the webcam.
On June 1, 2006, Stella was arrested in Pennsylvania. Stella waived his rights and admitted contact with the minor and stated his intention of traveling to Iowa was to have sex with the minor. During the search warrant, computer disks were seized recording the webcam sessions between the minor and Stella, including February the 2006 sessions wherein Stella persuaded the minor to engage in potentially sexually explicit conduct.
This case was prosecuted in the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Iowa as part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative. This investigation was conducted by the Iowa and Pennsylvania Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bettendorf Police Department.