An Ida County investigation into a missing foster child has led to an eight‑year federal prison sentence for a Texas man.
Sixty‑four‑year‑old Fred Grell of Angleton, Texas, was sentenced Thursday in federal court in Sioux City after pleading guilty last fall to receiving child pornography.
The case began in June of 2023, when law enforcement received a report of a runaway foster child. About a month later, Grell arrived at the Ida County Sheriff’s Office, dropped off a minor girl, and immediately drove away without speaking to deputies. That unusual encounter triggered a deeper investigation.
According to evidence presented in court, investigators later searched Grell’s phone records and found two videos and six images of child sexual abuse material involving the same minor. The victim told officers Grell had sexually assaulted her multiple times in his semi‑truck and at his home, both before and after her 16th birthday. She also reported that Grell routinely called her and told her to “keep things off texts” to avoid detection.
U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Strand sentenced Grell to 96 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Grell must also pay $10,000 in fines and assessments to support victims of child pornography offenses. He will remain in U.S. Marshal custody until he is transferred to a federal facility.
The case was investigated by the Ida County and Woodbury County Sheriff’s Offices, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kraig Hamit.
