Kotzebue Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing a Minor

FAIRBANKS – A Kotzebue man was sentenced to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for charges relating to the repeated sexual abuse of a minor.   

According to court documents, Wally Carter, 62, was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2021 and pleaded guilty in July to one count of human trafficking. Carter became the subject of a federal investigation in December 2020 when the FBI received a tip alleging a minor had been sexually abused by Carter approximately 15 times between 2015 and 2017. The first instance of sexual abuse occurred when the victim was only 10 years old. As part of his plea, Carter admitted to sexually abusing the minor victim multiple times, giving her money after each instance and often giving her alcohol and marijuana before or after the sexual abuse. The sexual abuse happened in Carter’s home, his vehicle and on one occasion, Carter took her by boat to a cabin, where the victim tried to escape from him at least five times.

“The defendant’s actions are unconscionable and robbed his victim of her trust and innocence at a young age,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Bryan Wilson of the District of Alaska. “This sentence sends a strong message that crimes against children in rural Alaska will not be tolerated and those who perpetrate such crimes will be held accountable.”

“Treating children as sexual commodities is appalling. The FBI will vigorously investigate these matters to protect the most vulnerable among us," said Special Agent in Charge Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “This case exemplifies the ongoing efforts of the FBI and our law enforcement partners to combat human trafficking in both urban and rural Alaska, while using a victim-centered approach to vindicate the survivors impacted by these crimes.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Anchorage Police Department (APD) Task Force Officers investigated this case collectively as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with assistance from the Alaska State Troopers (AST) and Kotzebue Police Department (KPD).

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Doty prosecuted the case.

The investigation is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc

Under the Rural Alaska Anti-Violence Enforcement Network (RAAVEN), the U.S. Attorney’s Office is increasing engagement, coordination, and action on public safety in Alaska Native communities.

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