The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has secured a conviction in a major child sex abuse case out of Palo Alto County.
Attorney General Brenna Bird announced yesterday that a jury has found Aaron Manz of Emmetsburg guilty on eight counts of second‑degree sexual abuse of a child. The verdict was returned last Wednesday after about three hours of deliberation, wrapping up a six‑day trial in Palo Alto County District Court.
Manz was arrested exactly one year earlier, on Feb. 11, 2025, following an investigation led by the Emmetsburg Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Prosecutors say the case involved multiple young victims and required extensive coordination among local law enforcement, state investigators, victim advocates, and the Child Advocacy Center.
The trial was prosecuted jointly by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office and the Palo Alto County Attorney’s Office. In a statement, Attorney General Bird said no child should ever have to endure sexual abuse, and she called the jury’s decision a measure of justice for the victims. She also thanked investigators, prosecutors, and support staff for their work throughout the case.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 3. Under Iowa law, each conviction for second‑degree sexual abuse of a child carries a 25‑year prison term, with a mandatory minimum of 70 percent before parole eligibility. The judge will decide whether Manz’s eight sentences run consecutively or at the same time.
The Attorney General’s Office says it will continue working with local partners to support the victims as the case moves into the sentencing phase.
