Update: SCV swim coach Jeremy Anderson died in a hospital while awaiting extradition to the United States. The cause of death has not been released. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department statement follows:

In December 2017, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Victims Bureau (SVB) began investigating the circumstances regarding the sexual assault of a child that occurred between the years of 2006 and 2011 by his swim instructor in Santa Clarita.  The victim told detectives that he had been assaulted by Suspect Jeremy Anderson, who was his swim instructor at an Aquatics Club in Santa Clarita.

The allegations were brought to the attention of the Sheriff’s Department by a representative from SafeSport.  Safesport is an organization entrusted with the authority to respond to reports of sexual misconduct with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movements.

As the investigation evolved, detectives identified additional victims who were victimized by Suspect Anderson.  The incidents with these multiple victims occurred at various locations between 2006 and 2017.  Suspect Anderson’s conduct included having sexually explicit conversations with the victims and soliciting child pornography.

SVB detectives presented the results of the investigation to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office on December 18, 2018.  The district attorney’s office filed 19 counts of Lewd Acts with a Child and Possession of Child Pornography against Suspect Anderson.

SVB detectives learned Suspect Anderson had fled from the United States prior to being able to take him into custody.  An arrest warrant was issued for his arrest at the time.

On Thursday, June 13, 2019, the United States Marshal’s Service, Pacific South West Fugitive Task Force, assisted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department locating Suspect Anderson in Costa Rica.   Before he could be extradited to the United States, Suspect Anderson was hospitalized in Costa Rica.

On Friday, June 21, 2019, SVB detectives received confirmation from the US Marshal’s Office that Suspect Anderson had died while hospitalized.

Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Special Victims Bureau.

 

Photo: ABC-7 screenshot

Initial post: An accomplished Santa Clarita Valley swim coach was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in Costa Rica this week on suspicion of performing lewd acts with a child.

Jeremy Anderson, 47, is in custody and is now being extradited from the Central American country and brought back to the U.S., Sgt. Brian Hudson, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Special Victims Bureau, said Thursday.

“At first we had one victim reported and we ended up with 11 victims,” Hudson said, reflecting on the investigation.

In December 2017, Special Victims Bureau detectives began investigating the circumstances regarding the alleged sexual assault of a child that occurred between the years of 2006 and 2011 by his swim instructor in Santa Clarita.

The victim told detectives that he had been assaulted by Jeremy Anderson, who was his swim instructor at Canyons Aquatic Club, which is based out of College of the Canyons, according to the program’s website.

The allegations were brought to the attention of the Sheriff’s Department by a representative from SafeSport.

As the investigation evolved, detectives said they identified additional children who were victimized by Anderson.

The incidents with these multiple victims occurred at various locations between 2006 and 2017.

Anderson’s conduct allegedly included having sexually explicit conversations with the victims, sexually assaulting them and soliciting child pornography.

On Dec. 18, 2018, detectives presented their case to prosecutors with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.

The D.A. then filed 19 counts of lewd acts with a child and possession of child pornography against Anderson.

Detectives learned Anderson had fled from the United States prior to being able to take him into custody. An arrest warrant was issued for his arrest.

Last week, on June 13, the United States Marshall’s Service, Pacific South West Fugitive Task Force, assisted by the Sheriff’s Department, tracked Anderson to Costa Rica, where they then arrested him.

SafeSport is an organization entrusted with the authority to respond to reports of sexual misconduct with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movements.

Anyone with information about this incident can contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Special Victims Bureau toll-free tip line at 877-710-5273 or by email at specialvictimsbureau@lasd.org. The Special Victims Bureau is tasked with investigating the sexual and physical abuse of children and felonious sexual assaults involving adult victims.

If you prefer to provide information anonymously, you may call “Crime Stoppers” by dialing 800-222-TIPS (8477), or use your smartphone by downloading the “P3 Tips” Mobile APP or “P3 Mobile” for the hearing impaired on Google play or the App Store, or by using the website http://lacrimestoppers.org.