Within days of a foreign exchange student arriving in his home, Levi Andrew Jackson, 40, of Clay Springs, began exhibiting inappropriate sexual behavior toward the 16-year-old boy. Within weeks, Jackson escalated to committing serious sexual offenses. On April 11, a Navajo County Superior Court jury found Jackson guilty of seven felony counts of sex crimes against the youth entrusted to his care.
In July 2022, Jackson and his family welcomed a young man from Chile into their home as part of a foreign exchange student program. In early September 2022, the young man alerted his program liaison to troubling incidents involving Jackson that occurred during the six weeks the student lived at the Jackson residence. The earliest incident occurred within five days of the student’s arrival. With the liaison’s help, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and the Arizona Department of Child Safety were alerted, and the student was removed from the home. Jackson was formerly a teacher at Mogollon High School and junior high football coach.
In March 2023, a Navajo County grand jury indicted Jackson on multiple counts, and the Superior Court jury trial commenced on April 2, 2024. The jury returned guilty verdicts for one count of sexual conduct with a minor, a Class 2 felony; three counts of sexual abuse, a Class 5 felony; two counts of luring a minor for sexual exploitation, a Class 3 felony; and attempted sexual abuse, a Class 6 felony. The Navajo County Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
Sentencing timeframes for the felony counts vary, with Jackson facing up to five years in prison for the Class 2 felony, the most serious offense. Jackson will be sentenced at 9:30 a.m. on May 7. He is being held in detention at the Navajo County Jail until the sentencing hearing.
