A Grove man has been sentenced for possessing and producing child sexual abuse material, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. Dakota Austin Clark, aged 24, received a sentence of 240 months in prison followed by 15 years of supervised release from U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill. After his release, Clark will be required to register as a sex offender.
The case began in February 2023 when Clark communicated with a 14-year-old via social media. The investigation found that Clark coerced the minor into producing sexually explicit photos and possessed hundreds of images depicting the sexual abuse of minors.
Clark is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody until he is transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Grove Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Harris prosecuted the case.
This prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, an initiative started in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to address child sexual exploitation and abuse. The project involves federal, state, and local resources to locate and prosecute offenders who exploit children online and rescue victims.
