LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A Las Vegas man was sentenced to over 18 years in prison after sexually exploiting a child in his care and possessing more than 2,000 files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Daniel Lee Rhees pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children and one count of child pornography.
According to court documents, in December 2020, Rhees messaged another user on Kik that he sexually assaulted a six-year-old girl related to him. During the chats, Rhees said that he formed a group of taboo parents that use the Session platform as a place to chat and share CSAM.
On Dec. 16, 2020, investigators obtained a search warrant for Rhee’s home and seized multiple devices belonging to him. Investigators recovered CSAM of a 6-year-old and a 4-year-old girl who were related to Rhees. In total, he possessed 1,803 images and 243 videos of CSAM, according to court documents.
Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Rhees Tuesday to 18 years and four months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release. In addition to imprisonment, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, Rhees must register as a sex offender and keep the registration current.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.
