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Catching a ‘prolific’ child predator
The special agent who led the investigation into Minnesota’s ‘most prolific’ child predator describes former Minnesota teacher and basketball coach Aaron Hjermstad's "calculated" and "planned out" crimes.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The special agent who led the investigation into Minnesota’s ‘most prolific’ child predator describes the "calculated" and "planned out" crimes in a new FOX 9 documentary.
BCA Agent: ‘I don’t think he ever thought he’d get caught’
The backstory:
In 2025, Aaron Hjermstad was sentenced to life in prison following a sweeping investigation into the sexual abuse of more than 120 young boys in the Twin Cities.
Hjermstad was previously convicted for sexually abusing four young boys but a traffic stop in Idaho in 2021 revealed a trove of video evidence that was previously undiscovered.
What they're saying:
"It took our digital forensic team a long time to process the evidence because the amount was so large," said Special Agent Janese Brown, who led the investigation for the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Brown’s team found Hjermstad kept a list of victims who were identified by their initials. The BCA investigation revealed there were more than 120 different sets of initials.
"It was so calculated and planned out," Brown said. "I don’t think he ever thought he’d get caught."
Why you should care:
Hjermstad’s crimes span more than a decade while he was a teacher and coach at Excell Academy in Brooklyn Park and Best Academy in Minneapolis. He was also a volunteer coach at the non-profit Hospitality House.
The FOX 9 Investigators tracked Hjermstad’s case for more than two years.
What's next:
A new FOX 9 documentary highlights key evidence, interviews with victims and the prosecutors who took him down. The full "Minnesota Monster" documentary airs Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 10:35 p.m. CT on FOX 9 and will be available to stream on FOX9.com, the FOX LOCAL app, and on FOX 9’s YouTube channel.
The Source: The FOX 9 Investigators obtained information on Hjermstad's crimes from court filings, school records and interviews with investigators and victims.