ST. PAUL PARK, Minn. (FOX 9) - A former teacher and athletic director at Hope Christian Academy in St. Paul Park has been charged with several sex crimes against minors.
Former Hope Christian Academy teacher charged
What we know:
According to court documents, 42-year-old Derrick Lee Pfeffer has been charged with one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, nine counts of possessing child sexual abuse material and one county of soliciting a child to engage in sexual conduct.
What the charges allege
Dig deeper:
The charges state that on Aug. 3, 2026, a woman brought her 17-year-old daughter into the Inver Grove Heights Police Department to report criminal sexual conduct, but the matter was eventually referred to the St. paul Park Police Department and investigated by Cottage Grove police.
The victim told investigators that while she attended Hope Christian Academy (HCA) in 9th and 10th grade (2023-2025), Pfeffer was employed as a teacher and athletic director from 2022-2024.
Court documents say the victim stated she became close with Pfeffer's family due to her sibling's friendship with one of his four children and was invited to spend time at the home, which is located in Cottage Grove. The victim also babysat for Pfeffer's children.
Timeline:
The victim told investigators that when she was 14-years-old in January 2024, she had been at Pfeffer's home and as he was driving her home, he made inappropriate comments to the victim, which continued the next day at school.
Court documents say that from that point on, their relationship became sexual and Pfeffer allegedly sexually assaulted the victim at the school and other locations.
Pfeffer left his position at HCA in December 2024, but the sexual conduct with the victim continued at multiple locations, including his home, until January 2026, when the victim ended the relationship, court documents said. The victim eventually blocked his phone number.
Child pornography found on suspect's phone
According to the charges, the victim and Pfeffer had exchanged sexually explicit photos of each other over Instagram using a message-disappearing feature. But the victim said she would get notifications that Pfeffer had screenshotted the photos she sent him.
Officers with the Cottage Grover Police Department executed a search warrant for Pfeffer's cell phone, where several explicit photos of the victim were found.
In an interview with police, Pfeffer allegedly admitted to having sexual contact with the victim, saying he felt "vulnerable and enjoyed having someone pursue him." He also admitted to exchanging nude photos with the victim.
2nd victim comes forward
On Sept. 15, 2026, a 16-year-old girl contacted investigators saying Pfeffer had an inappropriate relationship with her. The second victim said she met Pfeffer when she was 12-years-old while attending HCA.
Pfeffer routinely invited her to his home and would drive her, and when the victim was 15-years-old in August 2026, he began to commit multiple acts of sexual conduct with her.
What's next:
Pfeffer was arrested on Sept. 24, 2026, and was booked into the Washington County Jail.
He had his first court appearance Friday where his bail was set to $100,000 with conditions and $200,000 without conditions. As of 4 p.m. Friday, he is still in custody.
His next court appearance is scheduled for Nov. 4.
The Source: Court documents out of Washington County.