A Council Bluffs man has pleaded guilty to two counts of visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, and a judge has scheduled his sentencing for December 2. Michael Clark changed his plea last week as part of a deal that saw prosecutors drop 11 other counts of the same charge.
According to KETV, Clark received explicit photos of children from a woman in exchange for money. KETV’s report on the plea identifies Clark as 40 years old, though an earlier KETV report on his bond listed him as 39. Clark’s bond had previously been set at $1 million, according to that earlier report.
Co-Defendant Faces Separate Court Date
The woman authorities say supplied the material, Anna-Maria Guardado, was arrested in connection with the case and is scheduled to appear in court on November 3, per the same KETV report. A separate report from wowt.com states Guardado faces 13 felony counts of creating visual depictions of child explicit sexual conduct, with authorities alleging she took sexual pictures and videos of a child and sold the material to an ex-boyfriend for more than $1,000 through Cash App and PayPal.
Court records referenced in reporting on Guardado’s case list her age as 39, though that detail comes from a different outlet than the account of Clark’s plea. The connection between the two cases, as described in the available reporting, centers on the exchange of money for explicit images of a child.
What Iowa Law Says
The charges against Clark fall under Iowa statute, which spells out the underlying conduct at issue. Under Iowa Code section 728.12, it is unlawful to knowingly purchase or possess a visual depiction of a minor engaging in, or simulating, a prohibited sexual act.
No sentence has been announced for Clark, and only his sentencing date has been confirmed. He is set to be sentenced on December 2, while Guardado’s case moves forward separately with her scheduled November 3 court appearance.
