Man who Posed as Woman Online to Prey on Teen Girl Sentenced to 8 Years in Prison

PHOENIX – Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced 55 year old Danny Lee Wallace was sentenced to 8 years in prison and lifetime probation.  Maricopa County Judge Joan Sinclair also ordered Wallace to register as a sex offender.  In February 2017, Wallace pleaded guilty on one felony count of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and one felony count of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.

"It's absolutely despicable," said Attorney General Mark Brnovich. "Wallace created a fake Facebook profile to befriend and prey on a young teen girl. This case illustrates why parents need to talk to their teens about the dangers of social media. Teens should always be cautious about what they post, say, or send to others online.”

According to an investigation by the Phoenix Police Department, Wallace posed as a 23 year old woman on the internet, and used this persona to harass a fifteen-year-old victim in California.  The Defendant created several false social media profiles which supported his persona, calling himself “Veronica.” Wallace convinced the victim to send explicit pictures of herself to “Veronica” and was alleged to have made plans to go to California to pick up the victim to have sexual contact with her.  The explicit pictures sent by the victim to “Veronica” were found in Wallace’s possession at the time of his arrest.

Assistant Attorney General Todd Lawson prosecuted this case.
Sign Up for an AZAG Parent & Student Internet Safety Presentation