Ferndale man sets up fake profile to allegedly communicate sexually with minors
A 40-year-old Ferndale man was arrested after a months-long investigation for allegedly communicating sexually with minors on social media.
Dana Lee Hansen was arrested Friday, Jan. 17, on suspicion of communicating with minors for immoral purposes. Hansen’s bail was set at $20,000 at his first appearance Tuesday, Jan. 21, in Whatcom County Superior Court.
A sexual assault protection order was put in place between Hansen and the identified victim. Hansen is also prohibited from communicating with minors in any way but is allowed to see his minor children with supervision and at the permission of their mother.
Hansen was released from jail on bond around 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, jail records show.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Hansen in late November after it discovered Hansen was communicating sexually with a 14-year-old girl through Instagram from August 2019 through November 2019, according to court records.
Hansen created a fake Instagram account of a 15-year-old boy named “Samuel Parkins” and began following the 14-year-old girl, court records state. Early communications included typical high school conversations about school, home life and friends, the records state. The 14-year-old girl believed she was in a “boyfriend/girlfriend type relationship” and the pair talked about missing, kissing and loving each other, court records state.
The girl and Hansen would talk about meeting at various locations in Whatcom County, such as at high school football games, church youth groups and the Bellis Fair Mall, but each time, Hansen wouldn’t show and would make excuses afterwards, according to court records.
In late October and early November, Hansen sent gifts to the teenage girl through the mail, which showed up at her doorstep. Hansen also allegedly sent a naked picture to the girl, and the girl responded with a clothed picture of her and her friends, the records state.
As the communication continued, the pair began “sexting,” court records show. The girl told detectives she thought she was speaking with a 15-year-old boy from Lynden, not Hansen, who was known to her.
On Jan. 14, Hansen admitted to detectives he started a relationship with the 14-year-old girl, assumed a fake identity and spoke with the girl in a sexual manner, court records state. Hansen admitted to sending gifts to the teenager, but said he would never meet her in person, according to court records. He also said the nude picture he sent was not of him, but one he found on the Internet, and that he has since deleted all accounts under the name “Samuel Parkins,” court records state.
Hansen also told the detective he communicated with other girls, all age 13, through the fake account, the records show.
Whatcom County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Evan Jones said the prosecutor’s office intends to identify other victims Hansen allegedly communicated with, and expects to be adding those minors to the no-contact order that was put in place.
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:
▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.
▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.
▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.
▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
