FBI Agent Honored for Nearly Two Decades of Protecting Children

Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tim Garrison, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, presented the annual Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award to FBI Special Agent Mike Daniels.

The award, which is usually presented during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in April, was delayed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Garrison presented the award to Daniels yesterday during a ceremony at the FBI regional headquarters in Kansas City.

In presenting the award, Garrison noted the theme for the 2020 Crime Victims’ Rights week was Seek Justice – Ensure Victims’ Rights – Inspire Hope. “In his time investigating crimes against children,” Garrison said, “Mike has exemplified these ideals.”
 
Daniels began his career with the FBI 20 years ago, and for the past 17-plus years has investigated cases of violent crimes against children.

“Mike is committed to protecting children,” Garrison said. “Not only has he identified and arrested numerous perpetrators, but Mike has been successful in identifying and locating victims. Although Mike has an affable, calm demeanor, when there is a child in our community that is in danger, Mike kicks into high gear and focuses on stopping the exploitation and working to achieve justice for these vulnerable members of society.”

Among the cases successfully investigated by Daniels, defendant Conner Michael Webb was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child pornography of a 2-year-old victim. Another defendant, Cory Stahl, sponsored a 9-year-old victim through a local mentoring service. Stahl sexually assaulted the child victim and manufactured 740 pornographic images, which he distributed over the internet. Stahl was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to producing child pornography. 

“The Assistant U.S. Attorneys in our office who have worked closely with Mike over the years, know he is willing to do what it takes to achieve justice – including working long hours, appearing in court on short notice, and empathetically engaging with victims,” said Garrison. “We appreciate all the work Mike has done to successfully prosecute cases in our district.”

The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award

This is the 17th year for the award to be presented in memory of Crystal Kipper and Ali Kemp, two young women who were both fatal victims of tragic crimes. Crystal Kipper was an 18-year-old Gladstone, Mo., resident who was murdered after her car broke down on Interstate 29, just north of Platte City, on Feb. 24, 1997. Ali Kemp was a 19-year-old Blue Valley North High School graduate who was murdered on June 18, 2002, while she worked at the Foxborough neighborhood swimming pool in Leawood, Kan.

The Crystal Kipper & Ali Kemp Memorial Award is presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office each year to recognize the outstanding work of an individual or organization in recognition of a valued contribution to preventing and responding to the exploitation of children.