Twin Cities school employee charged with recording teen, putting her face on computer-generated female body

A former staff member and softball coach at Maranatha Christian Academy and Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park allegedly recorded and photographed a 13-year-old girl changing for softball practice in his classroom and superimposed the images on a computer-generated female body that was nude or in lingerie.

Jason Polzin, 50, of Prior Lake, was charged in Hennepin County District Court with one count of interfering with the privacy of a minor. He was released from jail Thursday night after posting $10,000 bail.

The criminal complaint alleges that the student was changing inside Polzin’s classroom and noticed Polzin’s cellphone was in the room. She walked over and saw that it was recording and pointed at where she was changing. When she watched the video, it showed Polzin looking into the lens of the camera before placing it in the room. The girl confronted Polzin about the video and he said it was an accident.

That incident took place in April 2024. The girl reported it to school personnel and said Polzin also gave her car rides and invited her on his boat.

A friend of the girl filed a report about the incident that led the Brooklyn Park Police Department to begin an investigation that also involved the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

A search of Polzin’s house recovered several electronic devices that allegedly included 52 photos of the girl and 165 photos of the girl’s face on computer-generated images of a female body, some of them nude or wearing lingerie.

The search also found “a number of files of Criminal Sexual Abuse Material” but the charges do not clarify what those contained.

At his first court appearance Thursday, Polzin’s lawyer, William Sherry, said the investigation began more than a year ago and his client had been cooperative. He said Polzin was arrested at 7 a.m. without notice after being in close contact with Brooklyn Park police and had spent more than two days in jail. He also said that Polzin no longer works as a teacher and cooperated with an investigation by the Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. He also said his client had almost no criminal history.

Senior Hennepin County Attorney Judith Cole argued that it was common for these types of crimes to involve defendants with marginal criminal history and asked that bail be set at $25,000. Sherry argued that the presumptive sentence for this crime was probation and asked for conditional release without any bail.

Judge Maximillia Utley set bail at $10,000 under the condition that Polzin follow several restrictions including having no contact with any minor females or the minor female victim in this case.

Utley asked Polzin, “Do you know who that is?”

Polzin, in glasses and an orange jumpsuit, said, “Yeah.”

In a statement, school officials said they will continue to work with Brooklyn Park police.

“The safety and well-being of our students is, and will always be, our highest priority,” said Deb Larson-Jarpe, Head of School. “We have zero tolerance for any behavior that places students at risk and remain committed to fostering a safe and supportive learning environment.”

Polzin was first licensed in Minnesota as a Tier 2 educator in 2021 in the Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan school district. His most recent license was as a Tier 3 school counselor, which expired in June.

Polzin’s next court appearance is set for Sept. 8.