June 6 — Police arrested a 57-year-old Newton man on charges of illegally soliciting photos of a police officer posing as a minor online.
The Newton Police Department issued a press release on June 5 charging Francis Donald Heim Jr. with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor (Class B felony), sex offender registry violation (Class C felony) and eight counts of telephone dissemination of obscene material to a minor (aggravated misdemeanor).
According to the press release, Newton police officers were contacted by the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office regarding the alleged actions of Heim, who has since been taken into custody and transported to the Jasper County Jail. He was arrested without incident, police said.
Class B felonies carry a penalty of up to 25 years in prison. Class C felonies carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines. Aggravated misdemeanors can result in up to two years in prison and $6,250 in fines.
According to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, Heim was convicted of indecent contact with a child in January 1986 and indecent exposure in January 2009. Heim is considered a Level II offender and is required to verify his information every six months. months with the sheriff’s office.
