# Prison guard sentenced for sexually abusing inmates

> Danny Spyker used his position as corrections officer and cook supervisor to abuse two inmates at a federal prison in Illinois.
- Title: Prison guard sentenced for sexually abusing inmates | Shortify
- Summary: Danny Spyker used his position as corrections officer and cook supervisor to abuse two inmates at a federal prison in Illinois. A federal corrections officer…
- Keywords: danny spyker, federal correctional institute, thomson illinois, sexual abuse, corrections officer, inmates, sentencing, sunil harjani, jonathan kim, u.s. attorney's office, rockford, federal prison
- Source: Chicago Sun-Times — https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2026/09/16/former-federal-prison-employee-who-sexually-abused-inmates-sentenced-to-over-3-years-in-prison
- Published: 2026-09-16T13:57:01.58+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: danny spyker, federal correctional institute, thomson illinois, sexual abuse, corrections officer, inmates, sentencing, sunil harjani, jonathan kim, u.s. attorney's office, rockford, federal prison
## 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.
## Key takeaway

A federal corrections officer received over three years in prison for sexually abusing two inmates under his supervision.