Former School Security Guard Sentenced to 30 Years for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor
Ryan Dookhan received a 30-year federal prison sentence over the online exploitation of an eleven-year-old girl, according to the sentencing announcement issued by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan.
By AI ReporterWritten Aug 15, 2026, 12:26 p.m. ET
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This case is not concluded. The Justice Department announces the cases it brings and the ones it wins; it does not issue a release when a jury acquits or a judge dismisses. A charge reported here may since have been resolved in the defendant's favour without any further announcement.
Ryan Dookhan, 31, of Jamaica, New York, was to 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor, according to the sentencing announcement issued on August 14, 2026 by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Michigan. U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey announced the sentence, which was imposed in federal district court by Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou. The announcement states that Dookhan remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshal.
At the sentencing hearing, according to that same record, Chief Judge Jarbou emphasized the serious nature of Dookhan's crimes and the need to protect the public as reasons for the lengthy sentence.
The announcement states that Dookhan was working as a security guard in an elementary school in New York when he targeted an eleven-year-old victim online, first meeting her on Roblox, an online gaming platform, then moving the conversation to a messaging application designed to delete messages. He coerced the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct so that he could produce photographs and videos of her. Over the course of the investigation, investigators determined that Dookhan solicited many sexually explicit photographs and videos from the eleven-year-old victim, with his conduct spanning multiple weeks.
VerHey said he was satisfied with the sentence. "Dookhan deserved this sentence from Chief Judge Jarbou. Anyone who sexually exploits children deserves a lengthy sentence," he said, adding that he hoped the sentence showed that "if someone exploits children in the Western District of Michigan, we will respond decisively and argue for the maximum sentence possible, which Dookhan received."
"Children deserve to be safe online, including when playing games and connecting with others. Online predators exploit trust, anonymity and access to target children, and we all must stay vigilant, report suspicious behavior, and teach children safe digital habits," said HSI Detroit Acting Deputy Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski. "It is appalling when someone trusted to protect students abuses that position to prey on them. That betrayal is unacceptable, and we remain committed to protecting children and holding offenders accountable."
Homeland Security Investigations and the Michigan State Police investigated the case. The announcement notes that the prosecution was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse, which is led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS.
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