Mark Zogg Kellett, 26, of Iowa City was charged Tuesday with three counts of grooming, a Class D felony, and three counts of attempting to entice a minor under 16, an aggravated misdemeanor. According to court documents, Zogg Kellett’s arrest stems from three instances in September and October 2024 where he allegedly attempted to solicit sex from minors online.

The first incident detailed in court documents occurred on Sept. 2. According to the criminal complaint, Zogg Kellett used an online profile to entice a person he believed was 15 years old for sexual purposes. The complaint states that Zogg Kellett indicated his willingness to travel to meet this person and said he was excited to, “do stuff in bed,” but didn’t want to be on the “registry.”

The criminal complaint states that Zogg Kellett again used an online profile on Oct. 20 to communicate with someone he believed was 12 years old. The criminal complaint states that Zogg Kellett told the victim he, “wanted to get with someone our age,” and that it would be his fault if she turned out, “slutty.” When interviewed by law enforcement, he admitted he had a desire to have sexual relations with someone of this age, the complaint states.

On Oct. 26, Zogg Kellett again used an online profile to entice a female he believed was 14 years old for sexual purposes and said he was willing to travel to meet her, according to the criminal complaint.

Zogg Kellett was arrested Monday and appeared in court Tuesday, where Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith withdrew from the case as the state’s prosecutor. Zogg Kellett was released for pretrial supervision Tuesday, according to court documents.

If convicted, Zogg Kellett faces a maximum five-year sentence and a fine up to $7,500 for each grooming charge, and a maximum two-year sentence and fine up to $6,250 for each count of attempt to entice a minor under 16.