A Toledo man has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after being found guilty of child sexual abuse and exploitation charges. Derran Reebel, 53, received the sentence from U.S. District Judge Jeffrey J. Helmick following convictions in two separate trials.
In November 2024, a federal jury convicted Reebel of receipt and distribution of child pornography as well as possession of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. A subsequent trial in March 2025 resulted in his conviction for attempted sexual exploitation of a minor (production) and coercion and enticement.
Reebel will also be subject to lifetime supervised release after serving his prison term.
Court documents revealed that between October 10-15, 2020, Reebel communicated via a social media application with an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old girl. Evidence at the March 2025 trial showed he sent sexually explicit messages and repeatedly tried to persuade the supposed minor to send him explicit photos and perform sexual acts.
During the earlier investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Reebel’s residence where they found child sexual abuse material collected over nearly eight years, from January 1, 2014 through August 17, 2022. Investigators discovered that he had contacted minors online for years, sending them explicit messages and photos of himself using social media platforms.
The case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency’s Violent Crimes Against Children Taskforce. Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
The prosecution was part of Project Safe Childhood, a national initiative aimed at fighting child sexual exploitation by coordinating resources across federal, state, and local agencies to locate offenders and assist victims. More information about Project Safe Childhood is available at justice.gov/PSC.
Child exploitation can be reported online at cybertipline.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678 at any time.
