Former Kentucky school principal indicted on charges including rape, sodomy of a minor
A former assistant principal at a Kentucky high school who resigned while under investigation was charged Monday with having sex with a minor.
A McCreary County grand jury indicted Aaron D. Anderson, 51, on charges of third-degree rape; unlawful transaction with a victim under age 16; solicitation to commit third-degree sodomy; and official misconduct.
The three sex-related charges are felonies. The most serious, the unlawful transaction charge, is a Class B felony punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison for a conviction.
The official misconduct charge is a misdemeanor.
Anderson was assistant principal at McCreary Central High School when he came under suspicion. He quit in late February rather than face being fired, Superintendent Brian Crawford told the Herald-Leader.
The indictment does not provide many details about the allegations against Anderson.
However, the rape and sodomy charges against Anderson apply in cases involving a person in a position of authority or special trust and victim he or she met as a result of that position, likely indicating the victim was a student.
The rape charge said Anderson had sex with the minor, and the unlawful transaction charge alleges he “induced, assisted and/or caused” the minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
The court record indicated Anderson’s bond was set at $100,000.
Anderson’s attorney, B.J. Foley, said Monday that Anderson “vehemently denies each allegation” in the indictment.
“We will vigorously defend these charges and look forward to his day in court,” Foley said.
Anderson was reportedly reprimanded by the state Educational Professional Standards Board in 2017 for having a sexual encounter with a woman during an elementary school basketball game.
Anderson was an assistant superintendent at the time.