Former Torrance Police Department officer Evan Robert Dahl was arrested in May 2022 after an investigation into child sexual abuse material led authorities directly to one of their own. The case later ended with a plea, probation, sex offender registration, and the revocation of Dahl’s California peace officer certification.
Dahl, who was 23 at the time of his arrest, was taken into custody on May 6, 2022, at the Torrance Police Station by the Los Angeles Police Department. According to reports from ABC7 / City News Service, he was arrested on suspicion of felony possession of child sexual abuse material following an LAPD investigation.
The investigation reportedly began after the LAPD Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force learned that unlawful material had been uploaded to a social media platform from an address in Torrance. Search warrants were later served at several locations, including Dahl’s residence, where evidence was seized.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Dahl was arrested while at work at the Torrance Police Department after investigators identified him as the user who had uploaded the material. The report also stated that the LAPD and Torrance Police Department Internet Crimes Against Children task forces worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children during the investigation.
At the time, Torrance police publicly acknowledged the arrest and said Dahl no longer worked for the department. “The city of Torrance and its police department are aware of the troubling allegations leading to Evan Dahl’s arrest,” Torrance police Sgt. Mark Ponegalek said, according to ABC7 / City News Service. The department also said it would continue cooperating with LAPD’s investigation.
Felony Charges, Misdemeanor Plea, and No Jail Time
Dahl was originally charged with one felony count of distribution of child pornography and one felony count of possession of child pornography, according to Patch / City News Service. However, in December 2022, he entered a plea agreement and pleaded to one misdemeanor count of possession.
As part of that deal, Dahl was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to complete 52 weeks of sex offender counseling. He was also required to register as a sex offender. Patch reported that Dahl was not ordered to serve jail time.
For a police officer sworn to enforce the law, the outcome is a disturbing reminder of how differently cases can appear to end when the person accused once wore a badge. Dahl’s case involved allegations serious enough for felony charges, but the final criminal result was a misdemeanor plea, probation, counseling, and registration rather than prison.
California POST Revoked Dahl’s Police Certification
The criminal case was not the end of the matter. The California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training later reviewed Dahl’s conduct through its Peace Officer Standards Accountability Division.
According to California POST’s official Statement of Findings, the Torrance Police Department submitted a serious misconduct complaint against Evan Robert Dahl in June 2023. POST stated that Dahl had been investigated and arrested for possession and distribution of child pornography and found, by clear and convincing evidence, that reasonable grounds existed to consider revocation of his peace officer certification.
The POST findings said the LAPD investigation determined that images and video involving apparent child victims had been downloaded to an internet account owned, accessed, and used by Dahl, and then shared to a second account. POST also stated that the account was connected to Dahl through his personal email address and cellphone number, and that the downloads were connected to an IP address located at his home.
POST further noted that the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed two felony counts against Dahl, and that he later pleaded no contest to one misdemeanor count of possession of child pornography. According to POST, Dahl was required to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
After POST served Dahl with a notice of intent to revoke his certification on January 17, 2024, he did not file a request for review within the required 30-day period. As a result, a default revocation was issued. POST revoked Evan R. Dahl’s peace officer certification on March 12, 2024.
Public Trust Broken
This case is not merely about one former officer’s criminal charge. It is about public trust. Police officers are given authority, access, credibility, and institutional protection that ordinary citizens do not have. When an officer is accused of crimes involving child sexual abuse material, the betrayal is especially severe.
Dahl is no longer a Torrance police officer, and California POST has revoked his certification. That means he should not be able to simply move to another California agency and continue working as a peace officer under the same certification. The case now stands as another entry in the public record showing why police accountability databases, certification reviews, and public access to misconduct records matter.
