School Security Guard Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison

Ryan Dookhan contacted a minor on Roblox and solicited explicit photographs and videos

LANSING, MICHIGAN - U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Ryan Dookhan, 31, of Jamaica NY, was sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexual exploitation of a minor and he remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshal. During the sentencing hearing, Chief U.S. District Judge Hala Y. Jarbou emphasized the serious nature of Dookhan's crimes and the need to protect the public as reasons for the lengthy sentence.

Dookhan, while working as a security guard in an elementary school in New York, targeted an eleven-year-old victim online, first by meeting her on Roblox (an online gaming platform), then moving the conversation to a messaging application designed to delete messages. Dookhan 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 his eleven-year-old victim, with his criminal conduct spanning multiple weeks.

U.S. Attorney Timothy 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. I hope this sentence shows 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.

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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.