CEDAR RAPIDS — A federal jury on Wednesday convicted a Marion man for attempting to solicit a 13-year-old girl, asking her to meet him Hiawatha for sex — not knowing he was communicating with an undercover officer posing as a teen.

Cory Gall, 30, was found guilty of attempted enticement of a minor following a trial in U.S. District Court.

Evidence showed Gall exchanged text messages December 2023 with a person who said she was 13 years old. Gall sent messages, describing sex acts with her and made arrangements to meet her in Hiawatha.

U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams will sentence Gall after a presentence report is prepared. 

Gall faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and possibly up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release following a prison term.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and Hiawatha Police Department.