Santa Clarita Valley swim coach Jeremy Anderson
Canyons Aquatic Club and USA Swimming-member swim coach Jeremy Anderson, also known as Jay Anderson, may have died while in the custody of US Marshals in Costa Rica but for a number of his alleged sexual abuse victims, the long-term consequences of sexual abuse will live on forever. Sgt. Brian Hudson, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s Special Victims Bureau, reportedly said they found 11 victims of Santa Clarita Valley swim coach Jeremy Anderson.
Timeline
In December of 2017, detectives from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department began investigating Jeremy Anderson for the sexual assault of a child that occurred between the years of 2006 and 2011. The victim told detectives that he had been assaulted by Jeremy Anderson, his swim instructor at Canyons Aquatic Club, which is based out of College of the Canyons.
Nearly four months later, in March of 2018, Anderson was entered in the SafeSport database with an interim suspension while the case was under investigation.
As the investigation proceeded, detectives found multiple victims who claimed that Anderson sexually abused them between 2006 and 2017. According to detectives, Anderson engaged in sexually explicit conversations and solicited child pornography.
In December of 2018, one year after the investigation began, the district attorney’s office filed charges against Anderson. Anderson fled the country before being taken into custody.
In mid-June of 2019, the US Marshal’s Service located Anderson in Costa Rica and attempted to extradite him to the US to face charges. For some unknown reason, Anderson was hospitalized in Costa Rica and died at the hospital.
Who was Jeremy “Jay” Anderson?
Coach Jeremy Anderson was an influential coach inside USA Swimming. USA Swimming conducted the 2016 National Open Water Select Camp in Ft. Myers, Florida. Anderson was selected as one of four assistant coaches for the camp. USA Swimming described the camp as a “unique opportunity to introduce accomplished in-the-pool distance swimmers to Open Water swimming.” The same year, Anderson was selected as meet director for the Western Zone Water Meet.
Anderson was honored in 2008 by the American Swim Coaches Association (ASCA), an organization run by swimming insider John Leonard, as Age Group Coach of the Year.
As of 2017, Anderson was Open Water Chair at So Cal Swimming LSC (Southern California Swimming), the Local Swim Committee for USA Swimming, which oversees local swim clubs in its area including Canyons Aquatic Club.
Canyons Aquatic Club touts itself as a swim club that has trained swimmers who have gone on to attend colleges all across the United States, including 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist Abbey Weitzeil and 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist Anthony Ervin.
Coach Jeremy Anderson questions remain
- Did the board of directors for the Canyon Aquatic Club and USA Swimming ignore the “red flag” behavior and warnings about Anderson?
- Did anyone bring concerns to the board? And if so, were there repercussions or retaliation for doing so?
- What did So Cal Swimming know of Anderson’s behavior?
How we can help you
For more than ten years, our legal team has been involved in lawsuits against USA Swimming and its member clubs for its failures to protect kids from coaching sexual abuse. Our clients have received millions of dollars as a result of our litigation efforts led by Attorney Robert Allard. We also have one of the few legal teams in the country dedicated to the sexual abuse of minors.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one were a victim of coach Jeremy Anderson, please contact our law firm at 408-289-1417. The consultation is free and confidential.
