BBBTV12 Serving Anderson, Roane, and Morgan Counties
KNOXVILLE, TN – Dan Roark, a former officer with the Knoxville Police Department, has pleaded guilty in a federal case involving the possession of child sexual abuse material. The case came to light in November when court documents revealed that Roark had repeatedly asked a woman he was dating in Virginia for explicit pictures and videos of her five-year-old daughter.
Throughout the investigation, led by Cortney Dugger, authorities uncovered more than 20,000 text messages between Roark and the woman. Roark’s plea agreement included examples of these messages, showing him requesting specific images and videos of the young girl in exchange for money.
Roark has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sexually exploit a child and receipt of child pornography. He faces a potential sentence of over 27 years in prison and fines exceeding $500,000. Additionally, Roark may be required to pay restitution for his crimes. The defense has requested to cap his prison sentence at 25 years, with the final details to be determined at his sentencing.
