Dan Roark, Former Police Officer, Sentenced for Exploitation of a Child and Receipt of Child Pornography

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On June 5, 2025, Dan Roark, 48, currently of Knoxville Tennessee, was sentenced by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.

As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Roark agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with, one count of exploitation of a child in violation of 18 U.S.C.§ 2251(a); and one count of receipt of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2).  Roark was sentenced to 300 months in prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release.  Roark will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release. 

In early October 2023, Scott County Virginia Sheriff’s Department (SCVSD) received an anonymous tip that a juvenile female (JV) was sending child pornography through the internet to other potential internet users. A forensic examination of a cellphone belonging to JV’s mother revealed child pornography images of JV as well as text messages between JV’s mother and Roark while he was employed with the Knoxville Police Department. In the text message communications, Roark demanded that JV’s mother provide child pornography depicting JV. JV’s mother complied by sending child pornography images and videos depicting JV to Roark. 

The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the SCVSD, 9th Judicial District Attorney General’s Office (9th JDAGO), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Internet Crimes Against Children’s Task Force. This investigation was led by Detective Daniel Ross of SCVSD, HSI Task Force Officer Cortney Dugger, and Investigator Chanel Finnell of the 9th JDAGO.

Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”

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