Rancho Cordova Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Production and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Daragh Finbar Hayes, 45, of Rancho Cordova, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins to 40 years in prison for production of child sexual abuse material and one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.

According to court documents, between June 25, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2024, Hayes used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct. Hayes hid cameras inside a bathroom that he knew the victim used and used the cameras to take videos and pictures of the victim while they were undressed. He then edited and saved those images in a hidden folder on his computer. Hayes went into illicit online chatrooms where he bragged about these images and shared them with others. Hayes pleaded guilty on Jan. 9, 2026.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Campbell prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, 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 Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the "resources" tab for information about internet-safety education.