Norwell Coach Sheehan Gets 45 Years for Child Exploitation

BOSTON – Derek Sheehan, 51, a former youth football coach in Norwell, Massachusetts, will spend the next 45 years of his life behind bars after being sentenced in federal court today for the horrific sexual exploitation of children. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns, also includes five years of supervised release following his imprisonment.

Sheehan pleaded guilty on July 20, 2021, to three counts of sexual exploitation of children. The case unraveled after one of the minor victims bravely came forward in June 2018, reporting the abuse to local law enforcement. A subsequent search of Sheehan’s Norwell residence in August 2018 revealed a trove of disturbing evidence – electronic devices containing child pornography. Forensic analysis confirmed the sickening truth: video evidence depicting Sheehan sexually abusing three minors while they slept at his home between March 2017 and July 2018.

“Mr. Sheehan abused his status as a youth football coach to prey on vulnerable children,” stated Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell. “He manipulated and sexually exploited them for months, and for that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars. There are few crimes deserving of a life sentence, and this is one of them. We do all we can to protect our children and ensure their safety, as this case shows.” The victims, all known to Sheehan through his role as a coach, were just 11 and 12 years old at the time of the abuse.

The FBI, leading the investigation, painted a grim picture of Sheehan’s predatory behavior. “Adults who use their access to children for their own sexual gratification, like former football coach Derek Sheehan did, are both a danger and a disgrace,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “What Derek Sheehan did is absolutely horrific, and the impact on his victims is immeasurable. While today’s sentencing cannot erase that harm, it ensures he will remain behind bars for a very long time, unable to victimize anyone else, ever again.”

The investigation was a collaborative effort, with valuable assistance provided by the Plymouth County and Cape and Islands District Attorney’s Offices, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Norwell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anne Paruti, Chief of Mendell’s Major Crimes Unit and the Project Safe Childhood coordinator, and Charles Dell’Anno, also of the Major Crimes Unit, skillfully prosecuted the case. This sentencing is a direct result of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 to combat child exploitation and abuse.

Project Safe Childhood, spearheaded by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, focuses on locating, apprehending, and prosecuting those who exploit children, while simultaneously working to identify and rescue victims. The FBI and its partners pledge to continue this vital work. For more information on Project Safe Childhood, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/. The Grimy Times will continue to follow this case and report on efforts to protect vulnerable children.