Fugitive Arrested for Child Sexual Assaults

MESA COUNTY, CO — A 63-year-old former western Colorado tattoo artist was arrested in Idaho earlier this month on a Mesa County warrant for multiple counts of child sexual assault.

On January 23, 2023, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a child sexual assault that occurred in Clifton. Investigators identified the suspect as Daniel “Popeye” James Hansen, who was known to the victim. Throughout the course of the investigation, authorities identified a total of four child victims.

According to investigators, Hansen resided in Mesa County intermittently between 1981 and 2023 and worked as a tattoo artist. During the investigation, he relocated from Mesa County to an unknown area.

On April 27, 2026, an arrest warrant with a $500,000 cash bond was issued for Hansen. Investigators with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Major Offender Task Force later located a potential address for him in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

With assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service, Hansen was taken into custody on May 2. He is currently awaiting extradition to the Mesa County Detention Facility.

Hansen faces the following charges:

Sexual Assault on a Child – Position of Trust (Three Counts, Class 2 Felony)

Sexual Assault on a Child – Position of Trust (10 Counts, Class 3 Felony)

Sexual Assault on a Child – Pattern of Abuse (Eight Counts, Class 3 Felony)

Sexual Assault on a Child (10 Counts, Class 4 Felony)

Crime of Violence – Jessica’s Law (Two Counts, Sentence Enhancer)