Clinton man faces federal charges after being accused of secretly recording child in bedroom, bathroom

CLINTON, Iowa – A Clinton man has been indicted on federal criminal charges after being accused of secretly recording a child in her bedroom and bathroom.

Adam Young, 33, of Clinton, was previously charged in Clinton County court with three counts of Sexual Exploitation of Minor, a Class B Felony, five counts of Possession of Visuals Depicting Minor in Sex Act, a Class D Felony, and two counts of Invasion of Privacy, an Aggravated Misdemeanor.

According to Iowa court documents, on March 10, Clinton County prosecutors filed a motion to outright dismiss their case against Young for the following reasons:

• [Young] has been indicted on federal criminal charges based upon the same facts that are a basis for state charges herein.

• A federal warrant and detainer have been issued.

• Federal charges carry a more significant penalty than the state charges.

• This matter requires dismissal so that the federal matter can proceed.

On March 11, the Court dismissed all charges.

On March 13, Young was released from Clinton County Jail and taken into custody, out of county, with the U.S. Marshals Service on no bond, records show.

A copy of the indictment was not available at the time of writing this article. Stay tuned in for further updates.

Continue reading below to learn about the allegations in connection to the original Clinton County charges.

Local allegations.

In July, a witness told police his friend had been given a cell phone by Young in June after his own phone stopped working, where he discovered several inappropriate videos of an 11-year-old girl, affidavits show.

The witness discovered the phone was still logged into Young’s Google account allowing photos and videos to sync to the device as they were added to the account.

The witness voluntarily turned the phone over to police, affidavits show.

After obtaining a search warrant for the cell phone, investigators confirmed the device was actively logged into Young’s Google account, and found multiple videos showing the private bedroom and bathroom used by an 11-year-old girl, through a peephole and under door frames.

There were also videos showing the girl swimming in a pool, affidavits show.

According to investigators, the videos revealed Young had verbally instructed the girl to change clothes in her bedroom before he returned to the peephole to record her as she was putting on a bra and exposing her bare chest, affidavits show.

Investigators say Young also positioned the camera under a bathroom door while the girl was entering the shower to capture her naked, affidavits show.

Local investigation.

The results of a search warrant on Young’s Google account found the same three videos, of which were created or saved to the account in mid-July, affidavits show.

A review of the data on Young’s Google account showed a search for ‘cctv spy camera app for iphone,’ along with visits to websites related to hidden surveillance devices, affidavits show.

A search warrant on Young’s home found a peephole in a bedroom, and confirmed his home matched the home allegedly seen on the videos, affidavits show.

Investigators say, ‘the circumstances of the videos show that the [girl] had a reasonable expectation of privacy and did not, or could not, consent to being recorded.’

On Dec. 23, a warrant was issued for Young’s arrest. On Christmas Eve, he was booked into the Clinton County Jail.

On Christmas Day, Young appeared in court where a judge found probable cause to proceed with the case.

Latest updates.

MARCH 13, 2026
Young was released from Clinton County Jail and taken into custody out of county with the United States Marshals Service.

MARCH 11, 2026
The Court granted prosecutors’ motion to dismiss the case.

MARCH 10, 2026
Prosecutors filed a motion to dismiss the entire case against Young in Clinton County after learning he had been indicted on federal criminal charges.

FEBRUARY 25, 2026
The Court held a hearing to consider Young’s motion to replace his appointed attorney, but he ultimately told the Court he wished to continue working with Eric Dale and maintain his speedy trial demand. The motion was withdrawn and the Court took no action.

FEBRUARY 10, 2026
Young filed a motion pro se asking the court to replace his appointed attorney, Eric Dale, of Davenport, claiming he was not being represented fairly. A hearing was later scheduled for February 25 to consider Young’s request.

JANUARY 14, 2026
A pretrial conference is set for Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. Young remains in custody at the Clinton County Jail on a $75,000 cash only bond.

JANUARY 6, 2026
A judge ordered Young’s bond to be cash only, set at $75,000. He remains in custody at the Clinton County Jail.

JANUARY 5, 2026
Young enters plea of Not Guilty.

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