Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York | Department of Justice
Derek Hasselbrink, also known as “Derek Spear,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison for enticing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. The sentencing took place before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, according to an announcement from Jay Clayton, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
“Sexual exploitation of children is a heinous crime,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers want sexual predators who target minors arrested promptly, prosecuted rigorously, and sentenced in line with horrific nature of their crimes. Thanks to our prosecutors, Hasselbrink will not threaten our children for a long time. If you suspect sexual exploitation, please reach out to our law enforcement partners.”
Court documents show that between April 2023 and July 2, 2023, Hasselbrink communicated sexually explicit messages with a 15-year-old girl and traveled to meet her near her home in Dutchess County, New York.
Authorities are encouraging anyone with information about child sexual exploitation to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or through https://tips.fbi.gov.
In addition to his prison sentence, Hasselbrink, age 49 and from Quincy, Illinois, received a sentence of 15 years supervised release.
Jay Clayton recognized the work of several agencies involved in the investigation: the FBI; Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office; Quincy Police Department; Adams County States Attorney’s Office; Carroll County Job and Family Services; Kentucky Attorney General’s Office; Springfield Field Office of the FBI; and Canton Resident Agency of the FBI.
The case was managed by the White Plains Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kingdar Prussien led the prosecution.
