After being caught in a sting operation, 51-year-old Kevin Dwane Carpenter of Mt. Pleasant was sentenced Wednesday to 20 years in prison after being convicted of enticement of a minor. In July of 2014, an agent with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations responded to a Craigslist advertisement posted by Carpenter entitled, “Looking for young boy.” Posing as a 15-year-old male, the agent responded and began correspondence with Carpenter, who initiated conversations about performing sexual acts. In August of 2014, Carpenter arranged a meeting in Mt. Pleasant, where he was confronted by agents. Carpenter admitted to being there to take a 15-year-old boy back to his residence to engage in sexual acts. Additionally, a forensic examination of Carpenter’s electronic devices showed he had been communicating with other minors.

This May, Carpenter plead guilty to enticement of a minor, and Wednesday he was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He was also ordered to serve 15 years of supervised release following his prison term, and to pay $100 towards the Crime Victim’s Fund. The Burlington Police Department and the Iowa DCI handled the investigation. The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa as part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative.