A former Minneapolis coach and teacher has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to raping 12 children.

On Tuesday, Aaron James Hjermstad, 46, will have the possibility of parole after 30 years after the sentence was issued in Hennepin County Court. He will also be required to register as a predatory offender.

Hjermstad pleaded guilty to 12 counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in September.

Hjermstad abused the 12 victims, who were all under the age of 13 at the time, between 2013 and 2020 while working as gym and health teacher at The Mastery School and as a basketball coach at Hospitality House Youth Development and the Harvest Best Academy.

He is already serving a 12-year sentence in prison for sexually assaulting four elementary school boys he had coached

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