A jury has returned guilty verdicts on 12 of 13 counts of child molestation against a Key Peninsula teacher, with jurors also finding he abused a position of trust, court officials said.
The verdicts were announced after a trial involving 34-year-old Jordan Henderson, a fifth-grade teacher at Evergreen Elementary School.
Jurors found Henderson guilty on 12 counts of child molestation in the first degree and not guilty on one count.
For each of the guilty counts, jurors answered “yes” to special verdict questions determining that Henderson held a position of trust over the children involved.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 10.
Henderson was arrested in April 2024 by deputies with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
At the time, prosecutors charged him with multiple counts of sexual molestation involving children younger than 12, alleging the acts occurred inside his classroom over a two-year period.
Court documents previously detailed allegations from several young students, leading to nine initial counts at the time of arrest.
Additional charges were later included as the case moved forward, bringing the total considered by the jury to 13 counts.
Public biographical information posted on a church website at the time of his arrest identified Henderson as a worship pastor at Wellspring Fellowship and listed his father as the church’s lead pastor.
That biography also stated Henderson lived in Gig Harbor.
The biography further noted that Henderson’s mother was a full-time third-grade teacher at Evergreen Elementary School.
An email from the school district to families sent at the time of his arrest stated, “The allegations concern boundary invasions, verbal statements and potentially touching,” it said. “I am sure that, like me, every alarm bell has gone off in your head. I want to assure you that the safety and well-being of our students is not just a priority; it is the foundation upon which our schools operate.”
Henderson remains scheduled to be sentenced in Pierce County Superior Court in April.
Note: The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office originally told KIRO 7 he was found guilty on 11 counts, but later sent a correction that it was 12.
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