Rural Waukon man arrested for sexual exploitation of a minor, other charges following investigation
In August 2026, the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office reports receiving a claim of a sexual encounter involving a juvenile female and an adult male and initiated an investigation.
In a report released by the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office Monday, October 19, the investigation determined that during the summer of 2026, Daniel Patrick Liddiard, age 54, of rural Waukon added a juvenile female as a contact on the Snapchat social media application. A criminal complaint filed in Allamakee County District Court in the case further states that Liddiard sent sexually explicit photos and videos of himself to the juvenile over the course of the summer, and he also requested and received explicit photos from her. Liddiard also asked the juvenile to introduce him to her minor friends, according to court documents.
The investigation further determined, and it was reportedly confirmed by Liddiard, that during the last week of July 2026, he met with the juvenile in person at a location in Waukon, where he drove around with her, provided her with an adult erotic device, and touched her inappropriately in the upper portions of her body, according to the filed complaint.
Search warrants were executed for Liddiard’s electronic devices and their contents as part of the investigation. Upon execution of the warrant, Liddiard is reported to have deleted some content to “remove the temptation,” according to court documents.
Based on the investigation, a warrant was requested and issued for Liddiard’s arrest, which took place Monday, October 19. A no contact order has also been filed, with the juvenile female being the protected party. Liddiard has been charged with the following:
• Sexual Exploitation of a Minor - Class B Felony
• Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Possession of a Visual Depiction of a Minor Engaged in a Prohibited Sexual Act - Class D Felony
• Grooming - Class D Felony
• Telephone Dissemination of Obscene Material to Minors - Aggravated Misdemeanor.
The Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office was assisted in the investigation by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Waukon Police Department, the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office, the Allamakee County Attorney’s Office, and the Winneshiek County Attorney’s Office.
Allamakee County Sheriff Clark Mellick explained that the original report to law enforcement in the case was made to the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. He said further investigation determined that the incident prompting the report occurred in Allamakee County, resulting in the charges being filed in Allamakee County District Court.
“I was contacted regarding this report by an investigator with the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Mellick shared. “Due to early information provided, the incident was treated as a multi-jurisdiction investigation involving the Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Waukon Police Department and the Allamakee County Sheriff’s Office. Through the course of the investigation, it was determined that the alleged acts occurred within Allamakee County.”
A preliminary hearing was originally scheduled for Friday, October 30 in the case, but Liddiard authorized his attorney to waive that hearing, according to court documents. Liddiard is currently being held in the Allamakee County Jail, and court documents indicate he is “ineligible for bail” due to being charged with a forcible felony as defined by Iowa Code 702.11.
However, Liddiard’s attorney filed a motion in Allamakee County District Court Monday, October 26 to review his bond ruling, stating in that motion that “none of the offenses charged in the complaints are forcible felonies”. Noting that Iowa Code considers the setting of a bond for either “ensuring appearance” or “protection of the community,” Liddiard’s attorney reasons that he should not be considered a flight risk and poses no danger to the community as his charges are for non-violent offenses, according to Iowa law. Based on that motion, Iowa First Judicial District Court Judge Richard Stochl ordered that a bond review hearing be held, and that hearing has been scheduled to be held by video conferencing Monday, November 9 in Allamakee County District Court.
