An Aurelia man is facing multiple felony charges after Hawarden police say digital devices linked to him were found to contain child sexual abuse material.
The Hawarden Police Department arrested 66‑year‑old Timothy Scott Waddell on Monday on a warrant connected to an investigation that began last fall. According to a criminal complaint filed in Sioux County, officers say they received several digital media storage devices — along with a binder — between October 2024 and March 2025. The items had allegedly been located inside a Hawarden home that Waddell owned until October of last year.
Police say the devices were sent to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s Cyber Crime Bureau for forensic analysis. Investigators reported that the devices contained 23 picture files of confirmed child sexual abuse material, and that the devices were linked back to Waddell.
Waddell is charged with six counts of first-offense possession of media depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, Class D felonies. Under Iowa law, each count carries a penalty of up to five years in prison. If convicted on all counts and ordered to serve the sentences consecutively, Waddell could face up to 30 years behind bars.
Jail records show he was booked into the Sioux County Jail on Monday and initially held on a $30,000 cash or surety bond. He was released later that day through a bondsman.
Online court records list Waddell’s initial preliminary hearing for 10 a.m. July 14 in Sioux County District Court.
The case remains under investigation.