A 42-year-old former teacher and athletic director at a small St. Paul Park private school is facing 13 felony charges after two teenage girls told investigators he sexually abused them, one of whom had babysat his children and grown close to his family. Derrick Lee Pfeffer was arrested Thursday and booked into the Washington County Jail, with bail set at $100,000 with conditions or $200,000 without.
Pfeffer taught and served as athletic director at Hope Christian Academy from 2022 to 2024, according to FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul. He now faces 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 count of soliciting a child to engage in sexual conduct. Court documents cited by the station show the case moved through the Inver Grove Heights Police Department, which took the initial report, before it was referred to St. Paul Park police and ultimately investigated by the Cottage Grove Police Department. Limitless Media News reported that Pfeffer was arrested Thursday and booked into the Washington County Jail.
A Relationship That Began Through a Family Friendship
The first victim attended Hope Christian Academy in ninth and tenth grade from 2023 to 2025, per the FOX 9 report. She reportedly grew close to Pfeffer's family through her sibling's friendship with one of his four children, and she babysat for the family. Court documents state that in January 2024, when the girl was 14, Pfeffer began making inappropriate comments to her while driving her home, then continued making similar remarks at school.
Investigators allege the sexual conduct escalated from there, with Pfeffer sexually assaulting the girl at school and other locations, according to the same court filings. Pfeffer left his position at the school in December 2024, but the alleged sexual conduct reportedly continued until January 2026, when the victim ended the relationship and blocked his phone number. Court records reviewed by Limitless Media News note that the two also exchanged sexually explicit photos over Instagram, using the platform's disappearing-message feature, and that Pfeffer screenshotted and saved images the victim sent him.
Search Warrant, Police Interview Yield Evidence
Cottage Grove police executed a search warrant on Pfeffer's cell phone, according to the FOX 9 report, and investigators say it contained several explicit photos of the victim. During a police interview, Pfeffer reportedly admitted to having sexual contact with the girl and to exchanging nude photos with her. He also allegedly told investigators he felt vulnerable and enjoyed having someone pursue him.
A second victim, a 16-year-old girl, contacted investigators two weeks ago, on September 15. She told police she met Pfeffer when she was 12 years old while attending Hope Christian Academy, and said he invited her to his home and drove her in his vehicle. Investigators allege Pfeffer committed multiple acts of sexual conduct with the second girl last month. Pfeffer's home is located in Cottage Grove, while court and law enforcement records reviewed by Limitless Media News show he actually resides in Baldwin, Wisconsin, roughly 30 miles east of St. Paul Park across the state line.
Small School, Big Legal Exposure
Hope Christian Academy describes itself as an independent, non-denominational private Christian school serving Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade on the St. Thomas Aquinas campus at 920 Holley Avenue in St. Paul Park. Private school directory data compiled by Private School Review indicates the school enrolls only about 55 to 74 students across all grades, underscoring how small the community was in which Pfeffer held a position of authority.
Under Minnesota Statute § 609.342, first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a minor between 13 and 16 committed by an adult in a position of authority carries a maximum of 30 years in prison and a fine of up to $40,000, according to the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Data from the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission shows that between 2020 and 2024, 572 non-life-sentenced people convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in Minnesota received an average pronounced sentence of about 197.5 months, or roughly 16.5 years.
The nine counts of possessing child sexual abuse material each carry a maximum five-year prison term and/or a $5,000 fine under Minnesota Statute § 617.247. Separately, soliciting a child under 16 for sexual conduct via electronic communication is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and fines up to $30,000, and requires mandatory registration as a predatory offender, according to Jack Rice Law.
Mandatory Reporting Rules for School Staff
Minnesota law places strict reporting duties on educators. Under the state's Reporting of Maltreatment of Minors Act, all school employees are mandatory reporters required to notify law enforcement or county child protection within 24 hours if they know or suspect child sexual abuse or exploitation by a person in authority, according to the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Pfeffer remained in custody as of 4 p.m. Friday, and his next court appearance is scheduled for November 4. It remains unknown whether additional victims may come forward following public disclosure of the 13 felony charges, whether the private school conducted background checks or internal reviews during his 2022 to 2024 tenure, or how the defense will address the police interview statements cited in the court filings.
