Jordan Henderson, a former elementary school teacher, was sentenced to 66 years for child molestation, capping a highly publicized case in Pierce County.
TACOMA, Wash. — A former elementary school teacher convicted of sexually abusing multiple young girls was sentenced Friday to 66 years in prison, capping a case prosecutors described as a devastating betrayal of trust inside a Pierce County classroom.
Jordan Henderson, 36, was sentenced in Pierce County Superior Court after a jury found him guilty of multiple counts of child molestation involving four former students. Prosecutors argued Henderson used his role as a teacher at Evergreen Elementary School in the Peninsula School District to gain access to vulnerable children and repeatedly abuse them over several years.
During Friday’s hearing, Judge Alicia M. Burton told Henderson he abused the extraordinary trust placed in him by parents and students.
“You committed these offences while serving in a role that carried extraordinary responsibility parents entrusted you with the care and supervision of their children students were entitled to feel safe in your classroom instead the jury found without a reasonable doubt that you used that position of trust to facilitate repeated abuse,” Burton said.
The judge said the testimony from the four girls who came forward demonstrated significant courage as victims and family members described the long-lasting trauma connected to the abuse.
Prosecutors requested a sentence above the standard range, arguing Henderson remained a danger to the community and had shown little accountability. Deputy Prosecutor Christine Dickson described Henderson in court as an “untreated sex offender” with no “motivation or interest in getting better.”
Several family members of victims addressed the court directly Friday, describing years of emotional damage and fear.
One mother told the judge, “His name is like Voldemort in our home – he who should not be named.”
The same mother later urged the court to impose the maximum possible sentence.
“I cannot undo what was done to her. I cannot give her back the sense of safety peace or innocence that was taken.” Another parent asked the judge to keep Henderson “behind bars for as long as possible,” describing him as manipulative and delusional.
Defense attorneys asked the court for a lower sentence, arguing Henderson still had support from family members and others in his life. Court proceedings revealed at least 29 people submitted letters supporting Henderson ahead of sentencing.
The criminal case drew widespread attention in Pierce County after Henderson’s arrest in April 2024. At the time, attorneys representing one of the alleged victims publicly stated they believed additional victims could come forward as the investigation became more widely known.
According to previously released statements and court testimony, investigators alleged the abuse occurred during the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years while Henderson taught fourth- and fifth-grade students at Evergreen Elementary.
Friday’s sentencing hearing lasted several hours and included emotional testimony from victims’ relatives, prosecutors and supporters on both sides of the case. The courtroom was filled for much of the proceeding.
Judge Burton said the sentence reflected the seriousness of the crimes and the abuse of trust connected to Henderson’s role as a teacher.
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