Globe-trotting paedophile Derek Godfrey jailed for US offences

DEREK Godfrey, the globetrotting paedophile gymnastics coach who was once jailed in Australia on child pornography charges, is heading back to prison.

Godfrey was sentenced in the US District Court in Sacramento on Thursday to eight years’ jail for child pornography charges dating back to 2006 in the Californian capital.

The 48-year-old has admitted to being a child pornography addict with “a preference” for nine to 12-year-old girls and over the years caught the attention of authorities in Australia, Europe and the US.

Godfrey claimed before his sentencing he now “has the tools to manage his addiction” after receiving treatment in US and Australian jails.

His globetrotting began in 2006 when US Homeland Security Investigations special agents raided his home in the Sacramento area and found 400 videos and 5000 still images on his electronic devices depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of minors.

He was working as a youth gymnastics coach in Sacramento.

The day after the search warrant was executed on his home Godfrey departed the US for The Netherlands but he was also “ultimately involved in pornography” again.

Godfrey then travelled to Australia and worked as a gymnastics coach in Perth.

Western Australian Police found more than 6000 child pornographic images and videos, including incest and bestiality, on Godfrey’s computers when they arrested him in 2012.

He was sentenced to a four and a half year jail term that was later reduced to three years by a WA appeals court.

After completing the Australian sentence he was extradited to the US in 2016 to face the possession of child pornography charge from the 2006 raid.

Godfrey entered a guilty plea to the US count in March.

The 97-month sentence was just short of the maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.