Prison employee sentenced for abuse

Danny Spyker received three years and five months in federal prison for sexually abusing two inmates.

Worked as corrections officer

Spyker was a corrections officer and cook supervisor at the Federal Correctional Institute in Thomson, Illinois.

Crimes occurred in March 2024

Spyker had sex with two inmates while working at the prison in March 2024.

Convicted by jury earlier this year

A jury in U.S. District Court in Rockford convicted Spyker of two counts of knowingly engaging in sexual acts with inmates.

Judge handed down sentence Monday

U.S. District Judge Sunil Harjani sentenced Spyker on Monday to three years and five months.

Not a one-time mistake

Prosecutors argued Spyker's conduct wasn't a momentary lapse but a deliberate abuse of his position for sexual gratification.

“[Spyker's] criminal conduct was not the result of a one-time mistake or a momentary lapse of judgment.”

Used knowledge and position

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Kim said Spyker exploited his knowledge and authority as a corrections officer.

“He used his knowledge and position as a corrections officer/cook supervisor for his own sexual gratification.”

Betrayal of public trust

Prosecutors called it a violation of federal law and a betrayal of the trust communities place in prisons.

“When a correctional officer abuses his power and harms an inmate, it is not only a violation of federal law, it is a betrayal of the trust that the community places in our penal institutions.”