MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A former social worker in Wadena County has been sentenced to a year in jail after having sexual relations with two young men and using his authority over them to make threats, county officials said.
Twenty-nine-year-old Todd Anderson, of Verndale, Minn., was sentenced to 12 months in jail after being convicted Tuesday of third-and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. His original sentence was 48 months in prison, but it was stayed for 15 years on the condition he serve a year in jail as well as comply with sex offender evaluations, have no contact with his victims and abstain from drugs and alcohol.
Anderson worked as a chemical dependency counselor for Wadena County Human Services. Through his job, he met two men, ages 18 and 19.
In his guilty plea hearing in May, Anderson admitted to have sexual relations with the men, officials said.
In the criminal complaint, Anderson was accused to using his job to threaten the men. He is quoted as telling one of them: “I can pull strings and [mess] up your life.” The other reported feeling threatened.
A judge ordered Anderson to register as a predatory offender and give authorities a DNA sample.
