Minnesota Monster: Teacher turned predator targeted more than 120 young boys
Minnesota Monster: The Teacher Who Abused 100+ Kids
A new true crime documentary "Minnesota Monster" chronicles the story of a Twin Cities teacher and coach who sexually abused more than 120 young boys over the course of more than a decade. The documentary features key evidence and interviews with victims, families and prosecutors which reveal Aaron Hjermstad’s path of abuse, the institutional failures that allowed him to go undetected for years, and never-before-seen video of the Idaho traffic stop that cracked the case open.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The FOX 9 documentary "Minnesota Monster" chronicles the story of a Twin Cities teacher and coach who sexually abused more than 120 young boys, the institutional failures that allowed him to go undetected for years, and never-before-seen video of the routine traffic stop that cracked the case wide open.
Idaho traffic stop: ‘My life is over’
The backstory:
In November 2021, Aaron Hjermstad was convicted of sexually abusing four young boys while he was a physical education teacher and basketball coach at Excell Academy in Brooklyn Park and Best Academy in Minneapolis. He was also a volunteer coach at the non-profit Hospitality House.
But before his sentencing, Hjermstad left Minnesota.
"We suspected that he was on the run and didn’t want to come back for his sentencing, where he would be taken into custody and go to prison," said Hennepin County prosecutor Joe Paquet during an interview with the FOX 9 Investigators.
Hjermstad was picked up in Idaho Falls, Idaho in what initially began as a routine traffic stop.
"What was found, I think, surprised everyone," Paquet said.
Idaho state troopers searched Hjermstad’s rental car and discovered laptops, hard drives, and other digital evidence.
Traffic stop reveals Minnesota teacher's crimes against 120+ children
Police video obtained by the FOX 9 Investigators reveals the traffic stop that led to the criminal investigation of former Twin Cities teacher and basketball coach Aaron Hjermstad for sexually abusing more than 120 children.
Dig deeper:
The FOX 9 Investigators obtained video from the state patrol squad car that documented the arrest.
When Hjermstad was asked what was on the hard drives, he appeared to chuckle.
At one point, Hjermstad stated, "My life is over."
The video evidence recovered during that traffic stop showed Hjermstad sexually abusing more than 100 young boys at various locations including his home.
"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.
Hjermstad kept a list of the video files, which included 127 initials of young boys he abused over the course of several years.
"It was so calculated and planned out," Brown said. "I don’t think he ever thought he’d get caught."
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.
What happened next:
The evidence led to a more extensive investigation, identified dozens of more victims, and resulted in a much longer prison sentence.
RELATED: BCA agent details overwhelming evidence against serial child predator
‘They told me that one of my children was in those tapes and videos’
Who were the victims?:
"He is one of the most prolific offenders I’ve ever encountered in four decades," said attorney Jeff Anderson, who has handled some of the most high-profile sex abuse cases in the country, including against the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts.
He represents several students abused by Hjermstad.
"Hjermstad targeted a particular group of kids – underprivileged, young black kids," Anderson said. "He videotaped dozens and dozens of them in his home as he violated them."
What they're saying:
The mother of one of the former students told the FOX 9 Investigators they only learned about the abuse after law enforcement alerted the family in 2024.
"They told me that one of my children was in those tapes and videos," she said.
The student – who was nine years old when he was introduced to Hjermstad – suspects he was drugged.
"We were his prey," said the former student. "It’s a white man helping out black boys, so everyone thinks he's doing good, but it's like he's putting on a mask and doing really horrible things."
Investigators say most of the abuse occurred during sleepovers at Hjermstad’s house, which he purposely set up as a playground with video games, air hockey and billiards.
"That’s just part of the grooming process," said Hennepin County prosecutor Dan Allard.
Red flags and evading accountability
What we know:
While Hjermstad was convicted in 2021 and again in 2025 for sexually abusing young children, prosecutors initially declined to file charges after the first known victim stepped forward in 2015.
"It was just being pushed under the rug, like it was an everyday thing," said the student.
Allard, who led the most recent prosecution of Hjermstad, said the initial investigation was handled by a different attorney.
"At the time, there was only this one allegation made by one particular kid – that prosecutor made the choice that they could not prove that case beyond a reasonable doubt," Allard said.
Hjermstad avoided more than criminal consequences.
Timeline:
While Hospitality House temporarily suspended Hjermstad, the nonprofit later reinstated him under the conditions he not have any more sleepovers with children at his home.
Instead of firing Hjermstad, Excell Academy decided not to renew his teaching contract, which allowed him to keep his state teaching license.
Hjermstad was later hired at Best Academy in Minneapolis, where he continued to abuse young boys.
The Minnesota Supreme Court later ruled Best Academy could be sued for failing to check Hjermstad’s references. The lawsuit was settled in 2025.
"We need to believe our kids," said the mother of one of the victims. "We need to believe them when they say something.
Harvest Best Academy and Hospitality House are now the subject of an ongoing lawsuit brought by a former student who claims the organizations failed to do enough to protect students from Hjermstad.
Serial child predator evaded accountability for years
A former Twin Cities teacher and coach sexually abused dozens of young boys and avoided full accountability for more than a decade. While Aaron Hjermstad was convicted in 2021 and again in 2025 for sexually abusing young children, prosecutors initially declined to file charges after the first known victim stepped forward in 2015.
The other side:
Harvest Best Academy previously issued a statement saying the charges against Hjermstad were "deeply disturbing" but declined to comment on the pending litigation.
Excell and Hospitality House did not respond to requests for comment.
RELATED: Minnesota teacher was serial child predator, but evaded accountability for years
‘They literally stopped him’
Big picture view:
In 2025, Hjermstad was convicted of sexually abusing a dozen additional boys and sentenced to life in prison.
He was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2021, which means he could have been released this decade if the additional evidence had not been discovered during that traffic stop in Idaho.
Hjermstad pleaded guilty a week before the trial was set to take place, where prosecutors were prepared to show disturbing evidence of his crimes in court.
The move also spared the victims from having to testify.
"They should be super proud of themselves because they stopped him," said the mother of one of the victims. "They did what a lot of adults should have done – they literally stopped him."
The Source: The FOX 9 Investigators obtained information on Hjermstad's crimes from court filings, school records and interviews with investigators and victims.