The former principal at a Dubuque County elementary school, previously charged with receipt of child pornography, is now facing several additional pornography-related charges from federal officials.
Robert Burke
Burke was arrested on June 3 and fired on June 4. A new principal has been appointed by the Dubuque Community School District superintendent.
The latest indictment alleges that, between January and June 2011, Burke used minors to unknowingly produce visual depictions of their genitals. It also alleges that Burke received depictions of child pornography using the Internet, that he distributed child pornography he had obtained from the Internet and that he possessed four hard drives containing child pornography.
According to federal officials, during an interview on June 3, Burke stated he had placed a hidden video camera in a boys’ bathroom at Sageville Elementary, capturing images of students using the facilities. Burke told officials that he had not touched the children in a sexual manner, and initially pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.
Burke is scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday at noon in federal court in Cedar Rapids. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and possible maximum of 110 years in prison. He will also be assessed fines — up to $1.75 million — special assessments and supervised release.
Cedar Rapids attorney Mark Brown has filed with the court on behalf of the defense. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Tremmel is leading the prosecution. The case was brought as part Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative launched in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. The Project is a collaborative effort between U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS)