CBP Officer Darren Henry Sexually Exploited a Minor. He Got 15 Years in Federal Prison.

 

CBP Officer Darren Henry Sexually Exploited a Minor. He Got 15 Years in Federal Prison.

Darren Michael Henry was a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer stationed in Bottineau, North Dakota.

Then federal investigators discovered he was sexually exploiting a child.

In July 2009, a federal jury convicted Henry of sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor.

The case involved an inappropriate sexual relationship Henry initiated with a minor between January and October 2008.

Investigators said the girl's mother discovered explicit text messages between Henry and her daughter.

A subsequent search of Henry's computer uncovered explicit photographs of the minor.

In October 2009, a federal judge sentenced Henry to 15 years in federal prison, the mandatory minimum sentence for the offense, followed by five years of supervised release.

Henry appealed his convictions, challenging aspects of the forensic evidence used against him.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit upheld his conviction in 2011.

After leaving federal custody, Henry was required to register as a sex offender and has been classified as a low-risk offender in North Dakota.

The terminology in the criminal statutes can make these cases sound clinical.

The reality isn't.

A federal law-enforcement officer sexually exploited a child, exchanged explicit messages with her, and possessed sexual images of her. A jury convicted him. He got 15 years.