A Richmond, Kentucky man has been sentenced to 330 months in federal prison for producing child pornography. Derek Hahn, 37, received the sentence on Monday from U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove.
According to court documents, law enforcement began investigating after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about child sexual abuse material being uploaded and shared on the Kik platform. Investigators traced the activity to Hahn’s home and workplace. When taken into custody, officers seized two phones from Hahn that contained multiple images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Authorities also found videos showing a minor undressing and nude; in these recordings, the victim appeared unaware they were being filmed by a hidden camera. Hahn admitted to producing these materials.
Federal sentencing guidelines require Hahn to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for release. After completing his prison term, he will be supervised by the U.S. Probation Office for life. The court also ordered him to pay $50,000 in restitution.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; Chief Derrick Napier of the Frankfort Police Department; and Sheriff Mike Coyle of Madison County jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by HSI, Kentucky State Police, Frankfort Police Department, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of Project Safe Childhood—a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation online through coordinated efforts among federal, state, and local agencies as well as identifying victims and apprehending offenders. More information can be found at www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
