Imprisoned MN teacher indicted on new charges of 'horrific' sexual abuse
Aaron Hjermstad
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A former Twin Cities teacher and basketball coach, already serving prison time for sexual abuse, has been indicted on new counts of abusing children.
Background
In 2022, Aaron Hjermstad was sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexually abusing four boys while he volunteered at the Mastery School in Minneapolis.
Hjermstad fled the state before sentencing but was ultimately arrested in Idaho. During that traffic stop, prosecutors said that investigators found "thousands of videos of [Hjermstad] assaulting children, some at his Brooklyn Center home." That evidence helped investigators identify another 12 victims and led to the new criminal charges.
What's new?
Hjermstad now faces 12 new counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for crimes that prosecutors say occurred between 2013 and 2021.
The victims are all under the age of 13, prosecutors say, and were either students Hjermstad coached or children related to players.
Prosecutors say each count comes with the possible sentence of life behind bars.
The Flaw
Earlier this year, the FOX 9 Investigators found Hjermstad was first investigated back in 2015. A student at Excell Academy reported that Hjermstad sexually assaulted him during a sleepover at the teacher’s home.
The school reported the allegations to police, but Hjermstad was not charged at the time.
Excell Academy chose to "not renew" his contract. Since Hjermstad was not actually fired, the school was not required to report him to the teaching board.
Advocates for sexual abuse victims say it exposed a flaw in the state’s mandated reporting requirements.
After Hjermstad left Excell Academy, he was quickly hired by another school.
In 2021, Hjermstad was convicted of sexually abusing children in both schools over several years.
What are they saying?
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty called the number of victims "horrific" and said she will seek lengthy prison sentences.
Harvest Best Academy, a charter school where Hjermstad volunteered as a basketball coach, said the allegations are "deeply disturbing" and they are gathering facts about possible victims.
"We take the hiring process very seriously and adhere to all state requirements for background checks. We regret that the state-run system we rely on did not provide updated information that would have disqualified Hjermstad from volunteering and prevented him from causing further harm."
School responds
In a statement, Harvest Best Academy wrote:
"The allegations in the indictment are deeply disturbing, and Harvest Best Academy is heartbroken by the harm Aaron Hjermstad has caused to our students and other victims. These new charges are an important step in holding him accountable and ensuring that justice is served.
"We want to clarify that Aaron Hjermstad was never employed by Harvest Best Academy. He volunteered as a basketball coach for Best Academy from 2015 to 2020. The allegations span a time period involving possible victims who were not students at our school. We are actively gathering facts, but our hearts go out to everyone affected by these alleged heinous acts.
"At Harvest Best Academy, our priority is creating a safe and supportive environment for all students to thrive. We take the hiring process very seriously and adhere to all state requirements for background checks. We regret that the state-run system we rely on did not provide updated information that would have disqualified Hjermstad from volunteering and prevented him from causing further harm.
"Harvest Best Academy is a tuition-free public charter school in Minneapolis, dedicated to building strong foundations for students to graduate from high school, succeed in college, and pursue meaningful careers. As one of Minnesota’s highest-performing schools for African American students, we foster a culture of high expectations and celebrate academic achievement."