Former Sacramento police officer convicted of sending explicit messages to teen girl
A former Sacramento police officer has been convicted and sentenced to spend 90 days in jail for sending explicit messages to a teenage girl on a social media app.
Daniel Joseph Donahue, who worked for the Sacramento Police Department for about two years, on July 7 pleaded no contest to sending obscene material to a minor and communicating with a minor with the intent to commit a sex crime with the minor, both felonies, said Sacramento County Assistant Chief Deputy District Attorney Dawn Bladet.
Resolution in the case was first reported by the Sacramento Update blog.
Donahue, 26, also pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of annoying or molesting a child, Bladet told The Sacramento Bee in a email Thursday.
Bladet said Donahue’s conviction was not part of a plea deal with the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office but instead a court offer to Donahue made by Sacramento Superior Court Judge John Winn.
Judge Winn sentenced Donahue to spend 90 days in the Sacramento County Jail and 120 days on the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Work Project, Bladet said. The judge also ordered Donahue to serve two years of probation and register with authorities as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
The Police Department launched a criminal and administrative investigation after the department received a complaint on March 9, 2021, alleging one of its officers, Donahue, was participating in “inappropriate communication” through a social media app with a 15-year-old girl.
Police said the initial investigation determined that “there was factual basis behind the allegations.” Donahue was then placed on administrative leave, which temporarily removed his authority as an officer.
Detectives conducted further investigation into the allegations of misconduct, including serving search warrants at his home, personal vehicle, workspace and electronic devices, according to police. During the investigation, Donahue resigned from the department.
Police said the detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Donahue based on evidence uncovered during their investigation. He was arrested March 24, 2021.
“It is critical we hold people accountable when they victimize the most vulnerable members of our community, especially when they are in a position of authority,” then Police Chief Daniel Hahn said in a news release announcing Donahue’s arrest. “Though Donahue resigned, we have filed criminal charges against him.”
This story was originally published July 28, 2022 at 6:42 PM.
