Five students alleging they suffered sexual abuse in schools at the hands of a teacher while at an Anoka middle school have reportedly come forward.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Jefferson Fietek now faces 10 counts of felony criminal sexual conduct. The charges come from five former middle school students who say the theater teacher abused them between 2009 and 2019.

Fietek reportedly worked at Anoka Middle School located in Anoka County, Minnesota; however, he had since moved to Boston to take a position at Emerson College. Fietek also reportedly attempted to run for the Minnesota House in 2014, but failed.

Middle School Sex Abuse Allegations

According to local CBC News affiliate WCCO 4, Fietek worked at Anoka Middle School for the Arts, previously Fred Moore Middle School, when the alleged abuse took place. Two former students initially came to the police in June of 2020, while another two reported abuse during the police investigation.

The Star Tribune reports that the first allegations came after a man shared his story of school sex abuse on social media this summer. He told reporters that after he shared, he was encouraged to go to the police.

“It took me awhile to come to terms with what I was dealing with,” he told The Star.

Recently, another student reportedly came forward. The students say that Fietek abused them when they were between the ages of 14 and 16 years old. They reportedly say the abuse took place in the school, as well as the surrounding area and in Fietek’s home.

Complaints Come to Nothing

The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that three complaints were filed against Fietek while he was at the middle school; however, none resulted in any disciplinary actions.

One of the students reportedly alleges in court documents that Fietek groomed him and he looked up to the teacher as a father figure. The student says that Fietek gained his parent’s trust and allowed him to meet with him outside of school.

The student also reportedly alleges that he didn’t tell anyone about the sexual abuse initially because of Fietek’s reputation as “an activist for so many students.”

For its part, the school district reportedly maintains that had the three complaints against Fietek included any allegation of criminal sexual assault, officials would have contacted law enforcement.

Predator Becomes Professor

According to Boston.com, Fietek was arrested in Malden, Mass. in July and transferred back to Anoka County to face allegations of school sex abuse. Emerson College announced that they had fired him. He had left his position as a theater teacher in the middle school in 2019 and was working as an assistant professor in the Department of Performing Arts at the time.

“Fietek is no longer an active faculty member at Emerson College, and he is prohibited from being on campus,” stated a representative for Emerson College at the time. “The college has notified him that the college will not renew his contract, and he will no longer teach at Emerson, now or in the future.”

According to Boston.com, Fietek was not suspected of any misconduct during his time at Emerson.

Middle School Teacher Faces Criminal Charges

After Fietek was extradited to Minnesota, he reportedly made bail, but is required to stay in the state and be tracked via GPS. He is also prohibited from coming into contact with the alleged victims or any other minors. He recently asked to visit his father in Arizona, but was denied by a district court judge. He will reportedly go back to court on Feb. 3, 2021.

“There are people willing to see this all the way through to the end,” the former student who first reported the school sex abuse to police told Minnesota Star Tribute reporters. “I’m really hopeful to see him locked up and that he never gets out to do this to someone again.”