In the Spotlight
David Lindfield September 25, 2023
From Slay News
A California teacher has been jailed for 16 years after being convicted in the “Mr. Pickles” child predator case.
32-year-old Daniel Zachary Dasko, a former teacher and youth hockey coach from a school in Carlsbad, California, was found guilty in court last week.
Dasko was convicted on charges related to his role in baiting children into sending sexually explicit images.
After obtaining the indecent images, Dasko reportedly circulated them online among other predators.
Dasko pleaded guilty to one count relating to the distribution of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct back in April, according to KSWB-TV.
However, despite being sentenced, the sex offender is currently out on bond.
The judge ordered Dasko to report to prison on October 3.
Dasko apparently lured the minors into sharing explicit material by posing as adolescent girls on social media.
Only then would he prompt them to send the illegal images.
“This defendant is a sexual predator who used his position as a teacher and coach to inform his sexual interests and to target kids for online abuse,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Haden.
“His job was to educate and protect children.
“Instead, he exploited them.
“We will do everything in our power to protect children and hold offenders accountable.”
Dasko was arrested in July 2022 after his alleged participation in spreading child sexual abuse material was discovered by the FBI.
Federal agents discovered Dasko’s crime during a separate investigation.
The report notes that in July 2021, the FBI was alerted to someone uploading child sex abuse material.
Investigators discovered that the pedophile responsible was a male teacher in the Philadelphia area.
Feds subsequently raided the Philadelphia man’s home.
His iPhone revealed he was having discussions with others about child sex abuse material.
The conversations included talks of trading sexually explicit images amongst a group.
The Philadelphia teacher and others he was in contact with would gloat about posing as young girls on social media sites to talk with the victims.
They would then transfer those communications to a social media application that allowed the coconspirators to exchange the image, per the report.
One of the people identified in this group went by the moniker “Mr. Pickles.”
Prosecutors said that Dasko waived his Miranda Rights after he was arrested and confessed he was behind the name.
It was later revealed that Dasko had exchanged more than 3,600 messages with the man in Philadelphia.
Those messages included a number of images and videos depicting children being sexually abused.
The report noted that many of the discussions between Dasko and the Philadelphia man went into “graphic, disturbing detail.”
The conversations included discussions about their attraction to young boys and their attempts to “catfish” them.
“Crimes involving sexually exploiting children are especially disgusting and disturbing,” FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy said.
“I’m proud of the hard work conducted by our agents and law enforcement partners to bring these criminals to justice for their abhorrent behavior.”
READ MORE: ‘Woke’ Professor Busted in Horrific Child Abuse Sting: ‘Little Kids Are So Sexual’
