Predators looking to exploit children often place themselves in positions of trust. Caregivers, service providers, and professionals may have access to children precisely because they are perceived as safe. This reality makes these crimes harder to detect, meaning it is even more important that police have the specialized tools and investigative support they need to find the offenders who intentionally conceal child sexual abuse. That’s why our goal at Our Rescue is to ensure that agencies that want an Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 to aid in their work have one.
In Ankeny, Iowa, 60-year-old Kenneth Wayne Clark was a registered in-home nurse who worked with children with disabilities. According to court documents, an investigation into him began after the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation passed along a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip originated from a cloud storage service that reported a user had uploaded a file depicting apparent child sexual abuse material (CSAM), otherwise known as child pornography.
During the execution of a search warrant, Our Rescue-sponsored ESD K9 Sandy was deployed by police to assist in locating digital evidence. Sandy alerted to a cell phone that had initially been concealed from detectives by the suspect. The device was later confirmed to contain CSAM. Criminal complaints allege that Clark downloaded and/or possessed videos consistent with child sexual abuse material on his phone between March 1, 2025, and July 30, 2025. Investigators ultimately identified approximately 2,600 videos and more than 60,000 images connected to the case.
Clark was booked into the Polk County Jail on 10 counts of Purchase/Possess Depiction of a Minor in a Sex Act, first offense, and is being held on a $50,000 cash-only bond.
Specially trained to locate hidden or overlooked electronic storage devices that may contain evidence of exploitation, ESD K9s are critical in the work of protecting children. You can help fund these incredible police partners today by donating now.
