Former Sacramento youth gymnastics coach extradited from Australia to face child pornography charge

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A onetime Sacramento youth gymnastics coach, who fled the U.S. a decade ago after learning he was under suspicion in an online child exploitation probe, was arraigned Friday in federal court for possession of child pornography, following his extradition from Australia.

Derek “Swede” Godfrey, 46, formerly of Rocklin, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography. The case is the product of an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California Matthew G. Morris is prosecuting the case.

According to court documents, Godfrey fled the U.S. in 2006, the day after HSI special agents executed a search warrant at his Rocklin residence. He initially resettled in the Netherlands, where he holds dual citizenship. A federal grand jury indicted Godfrey in January 2007.

In 2012, Godfrey was located in Perth, Australia, where he was once again coaching children’s gymnastics. At that time, Australian authorities arrested the defendant on charges unrelated to his alleged conduct in the U.S. In April 2016, Australian authorities agreed to extradite Godfrey to face the charges pending in Sacramento.

If convicted, Godfrey faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

This case is a product of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, and HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators.

Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 12,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,000 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI's Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.