Home Virginia man pleads guilty to child pornography, sentenced to 20 years behind bars
Local

Virginia man pleads guilty to child pornography, sentenced to 20 years behind bars

Crystal Graham
Daryl Van Donk
Source: Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office

A Harrisonburg man will spend two decades in prison after pleading guilty in Rockingham County Circuit Court to multiple counts of child pornography.

A judge sentenced Daryl J. Van Donk, 44, on Friday to 70 years with 20 years of active incarceration.

The investigation was initiated in July and resulted in Van Donk being charged with 10 felony counts of possession of child pornography and two felony counts of distribution of child pornography.

The sentencing stems from an investigation by the NOVA-Washington, D.C. Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The task force includes the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Harrisonburg Police Department and Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office. The Rockingham County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office also assisted with the task force investigation.

For more information on the task force and for tips on how to protect children from online predators, go to https://www.novadcicac.org.

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.