Burnsville music teacher Erik Akervik arrested again after message to minor

A Burnsville High School music teacher charged with criminal sexual misconduct with a student turned himself in to authorities Tuesday after he broke the conditions of his release by messaging another teen.

Erik Akervik, 29, posted bail on April 13 and was released from jail after he was accused of having sex with a 16-year-old male student and sending nude pictures of himself via Snapchat to a 15-year-old student. Under the conditions of his release, Akervik was prohibited from contacting anyone under the age of 18.

Burnsville police learned that on April 26 Akervik used Instagram to message a 15-year-old male he met in his work as a youth choral director for Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Akervik asked the teen to follow him on Instagram, according to the Dakota County attorney's office.

Police issued an arrest warrant and Akervik turned himself in Tuesday.

Akervik served as a youth choral director at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis for six years. The church placed Akervik on leave after his arrest and notified members via e-mail that the former choral director had allegedly sent "inappropriate messages" to young members of the church. In the e-mail, church officials said they alerted authorities.

In early April, a Burnsville High School official found Akervik had been sending sexually inappropriate communications to a 15-year-old male student. Police then discovered Akervik had had sex with another student, when the student was 16. He was arrested and bail was set at $100,000.

Akervik had worked for Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school district since August 2013. Before working in Burnsville, he taught music for Minneapolis Public Schools between 2010 to 2013.

Akervik is set to appear in court on Thursday for violating the terms of his release.

Beatrice Dupuy • 612-673-1707