NEWTON – A Des Moines man was taken into custody after an online child exploitation investigation by authorities in Newton.

According to the Newton Police Department, they began investigating a suspected online child predator identified as 60-year-old Thomas James Coleman of Des Moines on August 20, 2026. During the investigation, a Newton Police officer posed as a 15-year-old child online and communicated with Coleman. Coleman allegedly solicited the child to engage in sexual acts and requested that the child send him nude photos.

On Wednesday, September 2, Newton Police officers, with assistance from the Des Moines Police Department, carried out a search and seizure warrant at Coleman’s home, and Coleman was taken into custody without incident. He was later booked into the Jasper County Jail.

Coleman faces three felony charges, including Sexual Exploitation of a Minor (Class B felony), Grooming (Class D felony), and Enticement of a Minor Under 16 for a Sexual Purpose (Class D felony).