An Emmetsburg man has been sentenced to 200 years in prison for sexually abusing two young children in Palo Alto County.
On April 3, District Court Judge Adam Miller ordered Aaron James Manz to serve eight consecutive 25‑year sentences after a jury found him guilty in February of eight counts of second-degree sexual abuse. Each count carries a mandatory minimum of 70 percent before parole eligibility, meaning Manz will never be released.
The victims in the case were two children under the age of 12. The convictions followed a six‑day trial in Palo Alto County District Court, where jurors deliberated for about three hours before returning the guilty verdicts on Feb. 11.
Manz was arrested in February of 2025 after an investigation led by the Emmetsburg Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted jointly by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and the Palo Alto County Attorney’s Office.
Attorney General Brenna Bird praised the sentence, saying it reflects the seriousness of the crimes and the impact on the victims. She thanked jurors, law enforcement, victim advocates, and the professionals who supported the children throughout the case.
