Dace Allen Doverspike, Possession of Child Pornography, Missouri 2023

A West Plains, Mo., man was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison without parole for possessing hundreds of computer-generated images of child sexual abuse. Dace Allen Doverspike, 24, a registered sex offender, was found guilty of possessing an obscene visual representation of the sexual abuse of children.

Doverspike’s probation officer seized his cell phone on May 10, 2023, during a home visit as part of the conditions of his supervised release. The officer discovered multiple images and videos of pornography, including computer-generated images and videos of child pornography, and transferred the phone to Homeland Security Investigations for examination and further investigation. A task force officer examined a microSD storage device that had been inserted into the phone, which contained 255 computer-generated image files that depicted child sexual abuse.

This is not Doverspike’s first run-in with the law. He has a prior federal felony conviction for possessing child pornography. On August 29, 2023, Doverspike pleaded guilty to possessing an obscene visual representation of the sexual abuse of children.

The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller prosecuted the case.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

Doverspike was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 10 years in federal prison without parole, followed by 15 years of supervised release.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

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