ALTOONA, Iowa — A man was arrested on multiple charges after police say he shared messages and photos with a detective posing as a minor.

27-year-old Ethan James Wilson, from Hills, Iowa, was arrested by the Altoona Police Department and charged with,

• Sexual Exploitation of a Minor – Cause to Engage in Act
• Grooming
• Enticing a Minor Under 16
• Telephone Dissemination of Obscene Material to Minor, 1st Offense

Wilson initiated contact via text message with a detective who was posing as a 15-year-old minor on social media, according to court documents. Authorities state that Wilson was informed that he was conversing with a minor on multiple occasions.

Court records state that during the text conversations, Wilson sent an image of an exposed penis, requested nude images from the minor, and conversed about the different types of sexual acts he wished to perform with them.

Wilson also sent images that match his driver’s license, according to court records. Wilson then attempted to meet the minor at Prairie Meadows Casino to engage in sex acts, court documents state.

According to court records, cameras captured Wilson at the casino, and Wilson sent an image of himself in a vehicle belonging to a family member at the casino.

Court documents state the incidents took place between June and August 2025. Wilson was taken in by the Altoona PD and was booked into the Polk County Jail.