AO

9l (Rcv 08/09) CriminalComplainl

Uxrrup Srarps Dlsrruct Counr

for the

District of Columbia
United States of America

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DARRELL BEST
PDID: 702-890
DOB:

rylif

Case: 1:'15-mj-0029.1
Assigned To : Magistrate Judge Alan Kay
Assign. Date : StSDl,lS
Description: Criminal Complaint & Arrest

CRIMINAL COMPLAINT
I, the complainant in this case, state that the follo\Ying is true to the best
On or about the date(s)

of

belween

District of

1212

14-2t 1412015

lumbi

in the county

, the defendant(s)

ofmy knowledge and belief.

of

in the

violated:

Olfense DesuiPlion

Code Seclion
18 U.S,C. S 2251(a)

did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce any minor,
to engage in sexually expliclt conduct for the purpose of producing any visual
depiction of such conduct by any means and facllity of interstate and forelgn
commerce,

This criminal complaint is based on these facts:

SEE ATTACHED STATEMENT OF FACTS

Continued on the aftached sheet

o
Vin

61
Swom to belore me and signed in my presence.

tvl nn
Prilted kqde and iiilV'

J,
I

rfu.:

Date: ___.-QgQI4Elg_-*
City and state:

Washinqto n. D.C

Judge's signdtwe

.--_-@

Irinted name dnd tlle

TEMENT OF FA

UPPORT

MPLAI

I, Vincent Manning (hereinafter "Your Affiant"), being duly swom, depose and state
follows:

as

Your Affiant is an investigator with the Metropolitan Police Department and, as such' I
am charged with enforcing all laws in the District of Columbia. Your affiant has been a member
ofthe Metropotitan Police Department since February 2007. Your affiant has been assigned as
an Investigator since July of20l4, Your afliant has drafted affidavits in support ofboth arrest
and search wanants that have led to the recovery of crucial evidence resulting in the arrest and
convictions of multiple felons. Your affiant is currently assigned to investigate sexual and
physical abuse cases involving children. Your af'fiant has investigated other violent offenses
throughout my career with the Metropolitan Police Department. These investigations have
resuited in arrests and convictions ofsuspects in the District of Columbia Superior Court. I have
included in this affidavit facts which I believe are sufficient to support a probable cause {inding
for the issuance ofthe requested arrest warrant.
This affidavit is submitted in support of a complaint charging Darrell Best with
Production of Child Pomography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a).
The facts and information contained in this affidavit are based upon my personal
krlowledge of the investigation and observations ofother law enforcement offrcers involved in
the investigation. This affidavit contains informalion necessary to support probable cause for
this complaint. It is not intended to include each and every fact and matter observed by me or
known to the Govemment.
Based on the investigation thus far, there is probable cause to believe that Danell Best
did knowingly employ, use, persuade, induce, entice, and coerce C-1, a minor female l6 years of
age, to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose ofproducing any visual depiction of
such conduct, knowing and having reason to know that such visual depiction: would be
transpo*ed using any means and facility of interstate commerce or transported in or affecting
interstate commerce; or was produced using materials that have been mailed, shipped, or
transported in and affecting interstate or foreign commerce; or was transported using any means
and fbcility of interstate commerce or in and aft'ecting interstate commerce.

On Saturday, March 14,2015, members of the Metropolitan Police Department's Youth

Investiga tions Division were assi
to investi gate allegations of sexual abuse involving two
juvenile females who were
the time of the sexual abuse. Through the
course of the investigation, your Affrant has leamed the following information: Both
complainants reported that the defendant, who was their pastor, sexually abused them. The
defendant was the head pastor at God of Second Chance Ministry, located at 4410 Southem
Avenue, S.8., in Washington, D.C. The defendant is also employed as a police officer with the

Metropolitan Police Department.

Case. 't :15-mj-00291

Assigned To : Magistrate Judge Alan Kay
Assign. Date : 51512O15
Description: Criminal Complaint & Arrest

reported that the det'endant took sexually explicit

photographs of her with his cellular telephone and sexually assaulted her numerous times
between December 23,2014 and February 14,2015. Specifically,

C-l)

All olthe

sexual abuse took place at the defendant's church, located at 4410 Southem AYenue,

S.E,, in Washington,

D.C. According to C-1, the defendant's fiancie later found someorall of

ofC-l

on the defendant's cellular phone and sent them

electronically to her own cellular phone (the fianc6e's phone). The defendant's fianc6e then
showed the photographs to C-1 who acknowledged that the defendant had been sexually abusing
the sexually explicit photographs

her. C-l then disclosed the

abuse to her parents who reported

it to law enforcement.

On March 16,2015, the defendant was arrested and charged in Superior Court of the
District of Columbia with First Degree Sexual Abuse While Armed, Iirst Degree Sexual Abuse
of a Minor in a Significant Relationship, Second Degree Sexual Abuse of a Minor in a

Significant Relationship, and Third Degree Sexual Abuse.

Following the defendant's arrest, investigators obtained a search and seizure warrant
from the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the defendant's T-Mobile Samsung Note
2 cellular phone that was seized from the defendant's person, A forensic examination ofthe
defendant's phone revealed seven images depicting child pomography. The file names ofeach
image indicate that they were taken using the defendant's T-Mobile Samsung Note 2 cellular
phone. An analysis of these images suggests that some of the images were resized - thereby
indicating that they may have been trarsferred ftom the device. This conoborates C- 1's account
that the defendant's fianc6e was able to electronically transfer the images to the fiancde's own
phone. Your affiant knows that Samsung Note 2 cellular phones are not manufactured in the

Distlict of Columbia.
a

Image #'l

Image #2:

lmage #3:
mage #4:

Image #5:

presence of
On April 23,2015, the seven images described above were shown to C-l in the
ct her
the images and confirmed that theY
law enforcement. C-1 identified
C-l also stated that
C- l stated that Image #7 dePicts
C-1 further stated that the defendant took all ofthe photographs described
above and that they were taken at the defendant's church in the area next to his offrce.

that
Based on the above facts, Your Affiant submits that there is probable cause to believe
and
between on or ab o$ 2n3/2014 and on or about 02/l4l2ol5, within the District oicolumbia
elsewhere, Darrell Best committed the offense ofProduction of Child Pornography, in violation
of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a).

R
G
litan Pol

MAY 05

Departm

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of Ma

Swom and subscribed to before me this

15.

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'.,i

i;:
ALAN KAY
United States Magistrate Judge