Fort Madison Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation and Distribution of Child Pornography

DAVENPORT, Iowa - A Fort Madison woman was sentenced on July 8, 2026, to 30 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation of a child and distribution of child pornography.

According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Metallie Leigh Gillette, 27, created child sexual abuse material by sexually exploiting a minor child and then distributed the files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement seized an electronic device during a search of Gillette's Fort Madison residence that Gillette used to distribute and attempt to sell images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. The individual Gillette sent the child sexual abuse material to was David Enrique Remigio, 30 of Burlington, who was sentenced in March 2025 to 16 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography.

After completing her term of imprisonment, Gillette will be required to serve a seven-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Gillette was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.

United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Des Moines County Sheriff's Office investigated the case with assistance from the Joint Forensic Analysis Cyber Team, the Burlington Police Department, DCI ICAC, and the United States Marshal Service.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.