Cedar County man sentenced to 10 years for child porn involving 13-year-old Minnesota girl

CEDAR RAPIDS — A mother of a 13-year-old Minnesota girl, who was contacted online, and then kidnapped and sexually assaulted in Iowa, said Monday during the abuser’s federal sentencing that she hoped to see her daughter’s “light return and shine again” one day.

The mother, tearing up during her statement, said Randy Abels, 27, of Lowden, tried to turn her daughter against her family, telling her they didn’t care for her, so she would only trust him. Abels stayed in constant contact with her, even after he had been confronted by the mother. He then pretended to be an 11-year-old girl online to continue his grooming — making a trust and emotional connection to a child in order to manipulate, exploit and abuse.

Abels then came to their home in Minnesota last July and lured her “small girl” — who is 4-foot-2, “very sheltered and loves kittens” — to leave with him by giving her wireless headphones and a diamond necklace to “make her feel special,” the mother said in her statement. Abels also lied to her about being employed with Apple as a way to impress her, she noted.

With the help of her other daughter, the family found information in social media accounts of the teen that led them to Iowa and they contacted authorities who found Abels and the teen in a Cedar County park.

The mother said the girl is back with her family and they are all in therapy to help the healing process.

U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams said there were several aggravating factors of Abels conduct. He knew the child was underage, and not only did he make contact online and send her explicit videos and photos of himself to her, he then kidnapped her and sexually assaulted her.

In an interview with a psychologist, which is an evaluation report the defense submitted, Abels repeatedly blamed the victim and didn’t take responsibility for his offense, Williams noted.

Williams acknowledged Abels had some mental health issues and no criminal history, but did enhance his prison time, as the prosecution requested, because of he had concerns about him reoffending. The fact that he continued to pursue the victim, even after the mother confronted him, indicates a likelihood of reoffending, the judge noted.

Abels, who pleaded in February to one count of receiving child pornography, said during sentencing that he “wished he could undo” what happened but can’t and apologized to the teen and her family.

Williams sentenced him to 10 years in federal prison and ordered him to serve 10 years of supervised release following his prison term. He increased the advisory sentencing guideline for supervised release of five to 10 years.

Abels also will have to comply with the sex offender registry requirement.

Williams said this sentence will run concurrently with any state court conviction he may receive.

Abels also was charged last September in Cedar County District Court with enticing the same minor, lascivious acts with a child, and two counts of third-degree sexual abuse, all felonies, and indecent contact with a child and harboring a runaway child, both aggravated misdemeanors.

If convicted on those charges, he faces up to 39 years in prison. There isn’t a trial date set at this time. Plea negotiations are ongoing and a pretrial hearing is set for Friday, according to court documents.

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