A 34-year-old Houston man pleaded guilty in Maryland federal court Tuesday after admitting he sexually exploited eight minors, in a case authorities say unfolded over five occasions across roughly 14 months. The investigation involved digital payments, cellphones and internet-based accounts containing videos. Dazhon Darien is scheduled to be sentenced on November 10 and faces at least 15 years in federal prison.
According to FOX45 News, Darien previously lived in Maryland until around June 2024 and admitted to exploiting one victim who was between 15 and 16 years old. He also confessed to exploiting seven other victims, ages 14 to 17. Authorities said he used CashApp to pay the primary victim for sexually explicit videos and stored the material on cellphones and internet-based accounts.
At the indictment stage, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland said a federal grand jury charged Darien with five counts of sexual exploitation of a child, two counts of coercion and enticement, one count of receipt of child sexual abuse material and four possession counts. Prosecutors alleged he persuaded or coerced a minor to engage in explicit conduct for the purpose of producing and transmitting child sexual abuse material.
Hoodline previously detailed the case in its earlier indictment coverage. Tuesday’s plea marks a significant shift from allegations in court papers to a criminal conviction awaiting sentencing.
Sentencing Is Scheduled For November
Darien faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison, according to FOX45 News. U.S. District Judge James Kelleher Bredar is scheduled to sentence him at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, November 10, 2026.
The prison term will be determined by the federal court after consideration of the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. The case was investigated and prosecuted under the Justice Department’s broader Project Safe Childhood initiative targeting the online exploitation of minors.
