BALTIMORE — Disgraced former Pikesville High School athletic director Dazhon Darien is facing federal pornography charges.
The news comes as Darien was already due to stand trial at the state level for allegedly using AI to frame the school's principal, in an apparent case of retaliation.
Baltimore County Police carried out a search warrant at Darien's home on March 7, last year.
Inside they seized multiple electronic devices, including an Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max.
On the device investigators discovered Google accounts and Apple IDs in Darien's name containing files of teenage males engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Charging documents also detail a screenshot of a text message appearing to show Darien sexually coercing a minor.
Investigators identified and interviewed one victim in the files.
He told detectives how the two met through Snapchat.
The victim revealed he'd been sending Darien 'content' since the age of 15 in exchange for money received through Cashapp.
Phone records suggest Darien last paid the victim, just three days before being interviewed.
From December 14, 2023, through March 23, 2024, Darien allegedly paid the victim nine times.
A search of Darien's social media accounts led police to four more victims.
Each recalled Darien asking either for sex, pictures, or videos.
As for the AI case, Darien was supposed to go on trial Tuesday. No new date was scheduled.
We will continue following the case, and provide updates as they become available.
Court documents reveal disturbing details in case against ex-Pikesville High athletic director Dahzon Darien
Editor's Note: We previously incorrectly reported that the federal charges had to do with the AI impersonation case. The details of that case can be found below.
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Dazhon Darien is accused of using Artificial Intelligence to create a hate-filled racist rant impersonating the voice of Eric Eiswert.
This caused a scandal within the Baltimore County Public School System leading to threats of violence against Eiswert, who was the principal of the school at the time.
Darien was hit with state charges last April.
Investigators believed Darien retaliated against Eiswert for not wanting to renew his contract based on the alleged mishandling of school funds.
Eiswert has since sued for defamation and negligence. His lawyers claim Darien should've never been hired in the first place because his resume contained a “myriad of lies and exaggerations."
While elected officials, activists, and countless people on social media criticized him over the phony allegations, Eiswert was removed from his position while the investigation played out.
"He was locked out of his email, cut off from colleagues, ostracized publicly, and Superintendent Rogers refused to inform the public that Mr. Eiswert did not make the comments depicted on the Fake Audio,” Eiswert’s attorneys wrote in the lawsuit. “Dr. Rogers only offered the tepid qualification that she could not 'confirm' the genuineness of the recording."
Despite previously admitting to "having issues" with Eiswert, and confessing to sending the fake recording from his work email to someone he "shouldn't have," Darien says he's innocent.
Eiswert, meanwhile, is still employed with BCPS as principal at Sparrows Point Middle School.
