Ex-deputy threatened child exploitation victims if they refused sexual requests, agent says
A former Hancock County sheriff’s deputy already charged in a state child exploitation case faces an additional federal charge for sending and receiving child pornography for years across state lines, mostly using the social media and file sharing sites, according to testimony in federal court.
In addition, Derrick Patrick Flanagan is cahrged with having videos of children, ages 12 and under, engaged in sex acts with other minors, some with them masturbating in the images and more.
The ex-deputy was decked out in a red and white jail jumpsuit with his hands and legs shackled and chained when marshals led him into the federal courtroom in Gulfport for a hearing on a federal criminal complaint charging him with sending and receiving sexually explicit images and videos of minors across jurisdictions through the Internet.
Flanagan was also previously arrested on state charges of child exploitation and one count of assessing child pornography.
Allegations first surfaced over a year earlier
Hancock County Sheriff’s Investigator Matthew Sekinger first got a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in November 2020 about the presence of child pornography in a Dropbox account under the fictitious name of John Adams that included the email address hornybigguy020@gmail.com. Dropbox is a file sharing service.
Sekinger got a warrant and traced the use of that Dropbox account to an internet address at a Waveland home, where Flanagan had been living at the time with a roommate.
When Sekinger realized Flanagan lived there, he called the deputy in to question him, but Flanagan brushed off the allegations, saying the Internet connection at home had belonged to a former roommate, and subsequently, Sekinger closed the investigation.
Flanagan remained a deputy in Hancock County assigned to police the city of Diamondhead until early February when Sekinger got another Cyber tipline report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited children about alleged child pornography found in a Dropbox account traced to Flanagan.
New tip leads and an arrest
The new Dropbox account referred to Sekinger for investigation was in the former deputy’s name and used Flanagan’s email address of navygunner2003@gmail.com. Flanagan had served in both the Army and Navy in previous years.
Sekinger obtained a warrant to search that Dropbox account and confirmed the presence of child pornography. Because Sekinger worked at the Sheriff’s Department, Sekinger called to report the finding to David Allen, director of investigations for the Cybercrime division at the AG’s office.
Allen obtained a warrant to search Flanagan’s home, then in Gulfport, where authorities seized a laptop and multiple cellphones, FBI special agent Hillary Ladner said Thursday.
Authorities found two other smartphones on Flanagan when Sekinger called him to report to the Sheriff’s Department around the same time in February, where he was ultimately arrested and terminated.
Instructing minors to do certain sex acts
In an initial search of the laptop, Ladner said authorities found at least 10 videos and an image, all of which featured children allegedly engaged in sexually explicit acts.
In some of the images, Ladner said, a girl under the age of 12 is performing oral sex on a boy under 18. In other photos and videos, she said, featured other minors, such as two boys under 18 masturbating.
Since then, Ladner said, authorities have also discovered that Flanagan used Snapchat, a social media app, to communicate and receive alleged pornography from various minors.
In some cases, the agent said, Flanagan sent pictures of himself naked and showing off his penis to the minor victims and more.
In addition, she said, he told the minor victims what he wanted them to do in the pictures or videos the minor would send him.
In other cases, Ladner said, Flanagan allegedly threatened to punish the minors if they didn’t do the sexual acts he allegedly wanted to see in the pictures and videos.
The federal agents said authorities have identified various alleged victims and found that Flanagan sometimes paid for the images or videos he received.
A plea for bond
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Jones asked the judge to deny bond for Flanagan, noting he is a potential safety risk, is facing a lengthy prison sentence, and has been in regular contact with his family in his native Ireland based on calls he has had in custody.
In addition, she pointed out he has multiple passports, one for Ireland and the other for the United States.
Flanagan’s attorney, Rufus Aldridge, argued that Flanagan should be entitled to bond pending grand jury action in the federal case.
Aldridge said his client could be out on bond with strict restrictions placed on him by the judge, including a mandate for Flanagan to wear an ankle monitor and more.
Aldridge also noted that both of Flanagan’s passports are expired.
Magistrate Judge Judge Robert Myers denied bond for Flanagan, citing the potential safety risk to the community, his lack of stable employment or a stable home and a lack of family ties in the community coupled with the fact that his family is in Ireland to deny Flanagan a bond.
