A 39-year-old Anderson man was sentenced to 50 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to eight felony counts stemming from the molestation of multiple children, with a judge also designating him a sexually violent predator who must register as a sex offender for life. Daniel Manning's sentence includes 40 years executed in the Indiana Department of Correction and 10 years suspended to probation.
Manning pleaded guilty on August 14 to two Level 1 felony counts of child molesting, two Level 4 felony counts of child molesting, two Level 4 felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, and two Level 5 felony counts of sexual misconduct with a minor, according to the Madison County Prosecutor's Office. Court documents cited by Fox 59 state that one child disclosed Manning had molested her more than once, another child reported that he had also molested her, and a third child reported that a man later identified as Manning had touched her inappropriately.
According to the same Fox 59 report, the investigation into Manning began in December 2025. Law enforcement officials attempted to speak with Manning during the investigation, but he chose not to speak with them at the request of his attorney, per court documents cited in the station's coverage.
A Judge With a Pattern of Harsh Sentences
Judge Mark Dudley presided over Friday's sentencing, with Deputy Prosecutor Dan Kopp presenting the case for the Madison County Prosecutor's Office and Detective Matt Kopp of the Anderson Police Department leading the investigation, the prosecutor's office said. Despite sharing a surname, Deputy Prosecutor Kopp and Detective Kopp serve in distinct county and municipal roles.
Dudley's sentencing record in similar cases stretches back years. In October 2023, he sentenced 37-year-old Matthew Wallace of Anderson to 30 years, with 25 executed and five on probation, after Wallace pleaded guilty to Level 1 felony child molesting — a case in which Dudley also designated Wallace a sexually violent predator with lifetime registration, according to the Madison County Prosecutor's Office.
What the Law Requires Once Manning Is Released
Indiana Code allows Level 1 felony child molestation to carry a baseline sentence of 20 to 40 years, which can be enhanced up to 50 years if the offender was at least 21 at the time of the offense, according to Keffer Hirschauer LLP. The Level 4 and Level 5 felony counts in Manning's plea carry lower advisory ranges — 2 to 12 years and 1 to 6 years respectively — along with potential fines up to $10,000 per count, per LegalClarity.org.
Because Manning was over 21 at the time of the offenses, he qualifies as a credit-restricted felon under Indiana law, meaning he earns only one day of good-time credit for every six days served and must complete at least 85.7% of his executed sentence, according to Eskew Law. That threshold means Manning is expected to serve at least 34.2 years of his 40-year executed term before any chance at probation.
His sexually violent predator designation also carries lasting consequences. State law requires such offenders to register with law enforcement for life and check in with local police every 90 days, with no ability to petition for removal from that status for at least 10 years after release, per Keffer Hirschauer LLP's analysis of the statute.
A Busy Year for Madison County's Special Victims Unit
Deputy Prosecutor Dan Kopp, who led the Manning prosecution, was named the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Prosecutor of the Year for 2026 and has directed the Madison County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit since April 2023, according to WMUN. That unit handles felony child abuse, rape, and sexual misconduct cases across the county.
Kopp's office has secured several severe sentences against child sex offenders in the county this year. In January, he obtained a 91-year executed sentence against 31-year-old Alec Hegge of Pendleton, who pleaded guilty to Level 1 felony child molesting, child exploitation, and possession of child sexual abuse material and was also designated a sexually violent predator and credit-restricted felon. In August, a Madison County Circuit Court 1 jury convicted 40-year-old Nathaniel Lange of Anderson on a Level 4 felony child molesting charge following a three-day trial, the prosecutor's office said.
Manning's case follows other recent child molestation prosecutions in Anderson that Hoodline previously reported, including charges against 38-year-old Andrew Harper and 19-year-old J'von Hopson, who prosecutors say posed as a teen on Snapchat to lure children.
