Former police officer David Delaney, 29, was sentenced in federal court to 10 years in prison on February 12 for possessing images of child pornography. Delaney’s prison time is also followed by five years of supervised release.
Delaney was an officer with the Red Rocks Community College Police Department. In June 2018, law enforcement officers in Colorado from four agencies independently discovered Delaney’s computer offering child pornography for distribution online via a file-sharing program, The Denver Channel News reports.
Each of these officers downloaded files from Delaney’s computer and confirmed that the files were images and videos of child exploitation, including many graphic videos of child sexual assaults.
On July 31, 2018, and Aug. 3, 2018, search warrants were executed by the Golden Police Department and The Department of Homeland Security at Delaney’s residence. Delaney was not present during the search because he had been traveling internationally.
PINAC News reported previously how Delaney attempted to flee to Tawain to avoid being arrested.
Authorities seized electronic media, including an SD card that had been hidden in Delaney’s bedroom. The SD card revealed a deleted folder containing remnants of a video depicting the sexual assault of a minor girl by an adult man.
Officers also discovered a shelf in Delaney’s bedroom that contained pictures depicting Delaney and a child, along with various notes and memorabilia involving Delaney and the child. Further investigation revealed that Delaney had access to another child.
During the sentencing hearing, the court found that Delaney had engaged in a pattern of activity involving the sexual abuse of the second child and that he was grooming the first child for abuse.
On Aug. 6, 2018, Delaney returned to the United States and was found to be in possession of various electronic media which was searched pursuant to a federal search warrant. Child pornography as well as remnants of several file-sharing programs were found in deleted space on that media.
U.S. Attorney Jason Dunn says:
“These actions are reprehensible. As a police officer, the defendant took an oath to uphold the law. Today, the law was upheld, and this defendant is held to account.”
U.S. District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore pronounced the sentence. The case was investigated by The Department of Homeland Security in collaboration with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the Golden Police Department, the FBI, the Durango Police Department, and The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office.
Delaney was also ordered pay $3,000 in restitution to a victim of his crime. At the conclusion of the sentencing hearing, Delaney was remanded to custody of the United States Marshal Service
