74-year-old Carson City man sentenced to 10 years to life for multiple child sex offenses
Submitted by admin on Tue, 07/11/2023 - 12:43pm
On June 20, 74-year-old Daniel Keith O’Brien of Carson City was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison following an arrest alleging multiple child sex offenses.
Following a plea deal, O’Brien was sentenced for lewdness with a child less than 14; however, he was initially arrested for lewdness by person over 18 with child less than 14, battery with intent to commit sexual assault upon victim under 16 and child sexual abuse or exploitation with substantial bodily or mental harm for a child under 14.
According to the initial arrest report, two children ages 9 and 11 at the time came forward to their mother to confess that over the past two years, O’Brien had been inappropriate with them on a number of occasions.
They said that O’Brien forced them to view pornography, had touched them inappropriately, and had attempted to force one of them to perform oral sex on him, all which occurred when the children were between the ages of 5 and 7.
They said that O’Brien touched their bodies inappropriately when hugging them on an ongoing basis.
The children initially told their grandmother that they had been having nightmares about O’Brien, but were scared of telling their mother for fear they wouldn’t be believed, or would be in trouble.
According to the report, the grandmother told the children they should tell their mother and they would not be in trouble.
In her report to the deputies, the mother said that she listened to the children, but did not ask any questions. She said she told them, “thank you for telling me, you are safe.” Later, the mother and the grandmother went to the sheriff’s office to file the report.
Deputies interviewed the children separately, who relayed the same story that they had told their grandmother and mother. They were able to explain when and where the incidents took place, as well as indicated on drawings the genital areas of the body that O’Brien engaged with.
They also told deputies they believed O’Brien had recorded or photographed some of the incidents.
The mother told deputies that recently, one of the children has engaged in self-harm and had expressed suicidal ideation.
Carson Now has chosen to withhold some information regarding the allegations for victim privacy.
On Dec 16, 2022, approximately two years after the initial report was taken, a warrant was issued for O’Brien, and deputies arrested him at his home.
While in jail, O’Brien was instructed he was to have no contact with any minors. However, on Jan. 17, 2023, O’Brien called his minor grandchild and spoke with them on the phone. He told them “not to believe everything the DA’s office was saying” and that he hoped to explain everything one day.
O’Brien was then add-booked for violation of a court order.
As part of a plea deal, on May 1, 2023, O’Brien pled guilty to Lewdness with a Child under the age of 14, a category A felony.
On June 20, 2023, O’Brien was sentenced to 10 years to life in prison.
