Jared Anderson: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

A 28-year-old high school English teacher and group leader at his Mormon church has been accused of hosting sex parties for teenage boys at his home, police say.

Jared Anderson was arrested early Thursday on charges of sexual performance of a child and indecency with a child, KENS-TV reports.

“He’s having parties where he’s encouraging these kids to strip naked, to perform sex acts on each other, sometimes on him,” Sergeant Jesse Salame, the San Antonio Police spokesman, told the news station. “Sometimes taking photographs, very graphic, disgusting sexual things going on.”

Anderson is an English teacher at Judson High School. The victims are not believed to be students at the school. Investigators have identified seven to 10 victims so far, police said. Additional charges could be filed against Anderson.

He was placed on administrative leave by the school district and was banned from his church.

Anderson is the third Judson High School teacher arrested on sex charges since January. Reginald Ardale Johnson, a social studies teacher, was charged with sexually assaulting two underage girls in January, the San Antonio Express-News reported. Matthew John Turner, a theater arts teacher, was arrested in February on charges that he tied up and sexually assaulted a homeless girl, according to the Express-News. Both are no longer with the school district.

Here’s what you need to know:

---

1. Police Say He Hosted a ‘Bros Night’ at His Home & Said ‘the Last One to Strip Naked Loses’

Police say Jared Anderson hosted several sex parties at his San Antonio home, KSAT-TV reports, including a “Bros Night” on February 12.

“(They involved) anywhere from seven to 12 boys, ranging in ages from 15 to 17, maybe one or two 18-year-olds,” Sergeant Jesse Salame told the news station. “During those parties, he played games where he encouraged them to get naked and perform sexual acts on each other.”

Police told the San Antonio Express-News that two victims came to police “a few days ago” and reported the parties.

According to Fox San Antonio, police said a sign on the door at the February party read, “The last one to strip naked loses.”

Anderson is accused of convincing the boys to get naked and then coercing them into lewd conduct. He also is accused of exchanging nude photos with a 17-year-old boy.

His bail was set at $150,000.

“If there’s that many, there’s always a possibility there could be more,” Salame told KENS-TV. “And again these are disgusting, heinous acts committed against these boys. We’re happy to have got him very quickly.”

---

2. He Is Married & Is the Father of 2 Young Boys

Anderson is married and is the father of two young boys, according to a website he set up for his students.

“My older son is a crazy toddler, and my younger one is his exact opposite. Regardless, they’re both cute,” he wrote on the website.

Investigators searched his home in the North Side of San Antonio, KSAT-TV reports.

Police told the news station Anderson admitted to the allegations while being questioned by detectives. Police said he also sent text messages to some of the teens’ parents apologizing.

A neighbor told KSAT-TV he never saw anything out of the ordinary.

“He’s always out playing with his wife and kids and the other neighbors’ kids,” Mark Schenk said. “I’ve never seen teenage boys running around the neighborhood or heard anything like that. We’re home quite a bit.”

---

3. His Local Church Said It Has ‘Zero Tolerance for Abuse of Any Kind’

Anderson was a group leader at his local Mormon church, police said. The church has not been named.

“The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has zero tolerance for abuse of any kind. When we learned of the situation, local leaders reported it immediately to law enforcement. Anderson has been removed from all responsibilities within the local congregation,” the church said in a statement to EAG News. “The Church is supportive of the efforts of authorities to investigate and prosecute this matter.”

Anderson wrote about his religion on a blog called “My Mormon Two Cents”:

I am Mormon. It has made me who I am. I served my mission in the Utah Ogden Mission. It was amazing. I love my family. My mom is rad. I’m married to an amazingly beautiful woman. My son is adorable and fills a hole in my heart that I didn’t know was there. I believe in retail therapy. Laughing is fun. You should try it sometime. I graduated from BYU-Idaho in English Education. I think correct grammar is impressive. Books are my addiction. I want my own library someday, so I’m preparing for that room now by collecting myriad books. I love to sing. Green is my favorite color. I’m a Church history buff. I love trivia. I should be on Jeopardy. But seriously, my Church drives me to do what I do. It liberates me. I wouldn’t be anywhere near the man I am today without it. You should ask me about it. Is that enough info?

---

4. He Was Named Teacher of the Year at His High School in January

Anderson was named Teacher of the Year at Judson High School in January, according to The Fuel Online, a local news site.

“My passion is teaching, and I love teaching. But I understand that my students’ passion might not be learning,” Anderson told the website. “I find that when you support your students with what they love, they support you and what you love.”

“I try to go out of my way to support them. If I show up for my students outside of the classroom, they show up for me inside the classroom,” he said.

He has been an English teacher at the high school for three years.

On his website he wrote:

I’m an English teacher, so I naturally love reading. I have a slight obsession with books. My wife has a love/hate relationship with my books, but I think it’s mostly hate; apparently they take up space. I love books of all kind, so I always tell my students to let me know if they need a book suggestion; I’m like a literary matchmaker. I also love music, specifically singing. I’ve done various things with singing, including church and professionally.

I’m athletically challenged, so you won’t find me on a field, court, or any other athletic playing space. However, you will find me in the stands rooting on our Judson Rockets! HEY! HEY! Since moving to San Antonio, I’ve also become a huge Spurs fan. #GoSpursGo

“Judson ISD is obviously very concerned about these charges and will fully cooperate with the ongoing investigation by SAPD, but will let the legal process take its course,” the school district said in a statement. “Judson ISD conducted a multi-layered screening process with every potential employee that checks for any and all felony or misdemeanor charges.”

---

5. He Graduated From Brigham Young University-Idaho in 2012

Anderson graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho in 2012 with a degree in English Education, according to his Linkedin profile.

He also studied for a year at the University of Memphis. He previously worked as a student teacher in Idaho and as a substitute teacher in San Antonio.

Anderson was profiled by the San Antonio Express-News in 2015 for a story about class sizes and school funding.

“About 20-25 is that sweet spot. But once you start getting to 30, or 35, there are even the basic logistics of trying to physically fit the students in the room to teach,” Anderson told the newspaper. “That’s 10 more essays per class, and with six classes, that ends up being 60 more papers. Does class size matter? It does for a lot of reasons. When you have that many students you feel like you are up to your chin in water.”