Mug shot: Derek Spitzer
PARK CITY, Utah — A former music teacher who was found guilty of sending sexually explicit email messages to a teenage student was sentenced for the crimes Monday.
Derek Spitzer was given two sentences, to be served concurrently, of one to 15 years in the Utah State Prison.
Police said Spitzer, a former music teacher at Ecker Hill Middle School in Park City, used school computers to send more than 500 sexual messages to a 13-year-old boy over a four-month period.
Charging documents indicate Spitzer paid the boy $50 to participate in a fake survey, during which he asked about the boy’s sexual activity, requested nude photos and videos and told the student he wanted to do inappropriate things to him.
The Park City School District opened an investigation after the victim eventually shared the e-mails with a school counselor. Spitzer was then fired on January 12.
Spitzer was found guilty of two charges of solicitation of a minor by internet or text, a second-degree felony. He will receive credit for the 189 days he has already served in jail.
