A former Norwell youth football coach has entered a guilty plea in federal court after he was charged with sexually exploiting children.
According to the U.S. District Court in Boston, 51-year-old Derek Sheehan, of Norwell, agreed to plead guilty to three counts of sexual exploitation of children. He was initially indicted on the charges in 2018.
Federal prosecutors say during a search of his home, investigators seized devices that revealed evidence of child pornography.
That evidence showed that Sheehan, a Norwell youth football coach at the time, had videotaped himself sexually abusing three minors, who were 11 and 12 years old. The minors slept at his home between March of 2017 and July of 2018.
The Norwell Police Department credits detectives Kayla Puricelli and Sergeant Dan Dooley for their efforts in bringing Sheehan to justice.
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Stearns deferred acceptance of the plea until sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. The charges include mandatory minimum sentences of 15 years, and up to 30 years in prison.
Prosecutors say the case was brought forward as part of Project Safe Childhood, which was created in 2006.
