Former South Bay Cop Pleads Not Guilty To Distributing Child Porn

LOS ANGELES, CA — A former Torrance police officer pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of distributing and possessing child pornography.

Prosecutors contend that twenty-three year Evan Robert Dahl uploaded pornographic images of children to social media. Los Angeles Police Department detectives arrested Dahl at the Torrance police station May 6, and he was released on his own recognizance. Investigators encouraged additional potential victims to come forward.

LAPD Investigators served search warrants at several locations, including Dahl's home where evidence was seized, according to the LAPD.

The Los Angeles Police Department's Internet Crimes Against Children task force first learned in March that unlawful material was uploaded to a social media platform from an unknown address in Torrance, according to the LAPD.

"The city of Torrance and its police department are aware of the troubling allegations leading to Evan Dahl's arrest. Evan Dahl no longer works for the Torrance Police Department," Torrance Police Sgt. Mark Ponegalek said in a statement released shortly after Dahl's arrest. "Chief Jay Hart remains committed to transparency and accountability."

Dahl was charged May 26 with one felony count each of distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography.

At the prosecution's request, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Victoria B. Wilson ordered the former officer not to have any unsupervised contact with minors, not to be on social media and not to possess any pornography.

A date is scheduled to be set July 25 for a hearing to determine if there is sufficient evidence to allow the case against Dahl to proceed to trial.

The LAPD reminds the public that "any suspected inappropriate contact with a minor, or
knowledge of child sexual abuse material on the internet, should be immediately reported to their
local law enforcement agency or to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at
(800) 843-5678, or missing kids.com. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
will forward the information to the appropriate law enforcement agency nationwide."

City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.