Dennis “Denny” Doyle, the former Beaverton mayor and city councilor for more than 25 years, was sentenced to federal prison this week for illegally possessing child pornography.
Doyle, 74, was sentenced to six months in federal prison and five years of supervised release. Doyle was also ordered to pay $22,000 in restitution to his victims.
According to court documents, the Beaverton Police Department in January 2022 was notified by a local business that a USB thumb drive containing possible child pornography had been found.
The business provided the thumb drive to law enforcement, and investigators confirmed that it did contain child pornography, court records show. Additionally, the drive contained personal photographs that appeared to belong to Doyle, according to police.
Law enforcement also determined the images of child pornography were downloaded onto the thumb drive between November 2014 and December 2015, while Doyle was serving as mayor of Beaverton.
After the Beaverton Police Department referred the case to the FBI, special agents from FBI Portland’s Child Exploitation Task Force contacted Doyle at his home. Doyle reportedly admitted to agents that the drive was his and that he had personally downloaded child pornography from his home computer.
No further evidence of child pornography was located on Doyle’s digital devices, according to the FBI.
In March 2022, Doyle was charged with one count of possession of child pornography, and he pleaded guilty to the same charge in October.
Doyle, who was also a certified teacher and sports coach in Beaverton, including coaching softball and soccer for Valley Catholic High School, served as a Beaverton city councilor for 14 years before being elected mayor in 2008.
A Democrat, Doyle was involved in a number of climate change and environmental issues during his three terms as mayor before being defeated by progressive challenger Lacey Beaty in the November 2020 run-off.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. Child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children.
Not only do these images and videos document victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, child victims suffer revictimization each time the image of their abuse is viewed.
FBI Portland’s Child Exploitation Task Force conducts sexual exploitation investigations, many of them undercover, in coordination with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.