Lake County man who matched with police on Tinder gets maximum prison sentence for child sex crimes

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - A Lake County man who was jailed earlier this year after prosecutors said he matched with police on a popular dating app while out on bond in a child sex crimes case is headed to prison.

Derreck P. Keidel was sentenced to serve nine years in the Lorain Correctional Institution in Grafton on Monday, court records show.

The 37-year-old Eastlake man pleaded guilty in August to six counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person.

Seven additional charges related to child sexual abuse material were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, court records show.

Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey W. Ruple imposed the maximum sentence of 18 months on each of the six counts, ordering the sentences to run consecutively, Eastlake Police said.

RELATED: Lake County man back in jail after he matched with police on Tinder, prosecutors say

Keidel, who has also been classified as a Tier II sex offender, will be subject to five years of post-release control and must register as a sex offender for 25 years after he is released from prison.

CyberTips spark investigation

According to Eastlake Police, the investigation began in July 2024, after the department received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

Police said eight additional CyberTips followed and detectives were able to link Keidel to the child sexual exploitation activity that was reported.

Court records show Keidel was secretly indicted by a Lake County grand jury on March 30, 2026, and arrested two days later.

At his arraignment, Keidel pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person and his bond was set at $25,000, with conditions that he have no contact with minors and not use electronic devices.

He posted bond and was released the same day, according to court records.

Bond revoked after Tinder match

On June 15, the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office received an anonymous tip that Keidel was violating the conditions of his bond.

According to police, Keidel initially told the court that he was living with his girlfriend in Brunswick.

“However, surveillance revealed that he had relocated to his parents’ residence in Eastlake, where two minor children resided, without notifying the Court of the change in address as required,” a detective told 19 Investigates in June.

Detectives were also able to confirm that Keidel was actively using Tinder, a dating app that requires the use of an electronic device, while he was out on bond.

Eastlake Police set up a Tinder account on June 17, located Keidel’s dating profile, and then Keidel “matched” with the undercover police profile and sent police two messages through the dating app, according to prosecutors.

Keidel’s bond was revoked and he was sent back to the Lake County Jail.

According to court records, Keidel has been ordered to forfeit four cell phones, two tablets, a laptop computer, and three wearable devices that were used “to commit or facilitate the commission” of his crimes.

Eastlake Police Chief Michael Werner said Keidel’s case “demonstrates the critical role of CyberTips and coordinated law enforcement efforts in identifying those who exploit children and ensuring they are held accountable.”

If you believe you or someone you know is a victim of child sexual exploitation, submit a report to NCMEC’s CyberTipline online or contact NCMEC’s 24-hour call center at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678).