A 41-year-old man from Pinson, Alabama, Graham Daniel Ash, has been handed an 18-year federal prison sentence for trying to sexually abuse a child in Washington, D.C., in addition to distributing child pornography. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Ash, who had previously been convicted of a sex offense against a minor, faced these charges after an undercover operation exposed his intentions to meet with a child for sexual purposes.
The investigation revealed Ash's communications through an online messaging platform, where he identified himself as darkmind36. An undercover officer, presenting as the father of an 8-year-old girl, engaged with Ash from August 29, 2023. During this time, "Ash said he was actively seeking parents living on the East Coast for the purpose of traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct," the press release stated. To demonstrate his intent, Ash sent the officer a link to 60 files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Further, he discussed other attempts where he had sought out children for sexual abuse.
U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan mandated, alongside the prison ter,m that Ash must also serve a lifetime of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty on November 26, 2025, to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. His sentencing on April 22nd comes after law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at his Alabama residence on October 3, 2023. Upon arrival, officers needed to force entry after Ash failed to open the door, only to discover him with two demolished phones.
This case was the result of a collaborative effort between the FBI Washington Field Office's Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and law enforcement in the Northern District of Alabama. Ash's actions, particularly since he was already required to register as a sex offender due to a prior conviction for electronic solicitation of a child in Alabama State law, presented a continued threat to child safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Rachel Forman led the prosecution of this case, bringing to a close a disturbing chapter of criminal activity that targeted the most vulnerable among us.
