Former Norwell youth coach charged with sexual exploitation of children

BOSTON — A former youth football coach in Norwell was charged Wednesday in federal court with three counts of sexual exploitation of children.

Derek Sheehan, 48, is currently in state custody on related charges pending in Hingham District Court, which include three counts of aggravated rape of child. Sheehan is also charged with one count of assault and battery on a child under 14 in connection with another victim. He was arraigned last week.

Sheehan was set to appear in Hingham District Court on Monday for a dangerousness hearing, but he waived his right to the hearing through his lawyer. A judge ordered him held without bail.

According to a criminal complaint, Massachusetts State Police and Norwell Police executed a search warrant at Sheehan’s Spring Brook Drive home on August 17 and seized several electronic devices, including Sheehan’s cell phone which contained child pornography.

The criminal complaint states a forensic review of one of an external drive led to the discovery of hours of video showing Sheehan, on three separate occasions in March and April of this year, sexually abusing a friend of his son who was sleeping in Sheehan’s home. At the time of the assaults, the child was eleven and twelve-years-old. Sheehan had also coached the child’s youth football team.

Given the number of devices seized, the high storage capacity of many of the devices and the fact some devices appear to be encrypted, the investigation and forensic review is ongoing.

The charge of sexual exploitation of children calls for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a minimum of five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

Sheehan will be arraigned in federal court at a later date. He’s due back in Hingham District Court on October 15.

Anyone with questions, concerns or information about the case should call the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 617-748-3274.

Cox Media Group