Press Release

Tuluksak Teacher Sentenced to Four Years to Serve in Child Pornography Case

March 20, 2018

(Bethel, AK) John Paul Donald Douglas was sentenced today in Bethel to ten years imprisonment with six years suspended and four years to serve after pleading guilty to a consolidated count of possession of child pornography.

On May 8, 2017 investigators with the Technical Crimes Unit of the Alaska Bureau of Investigation were conducting a proactive peer-to-peer child pornography investigation when they received a video depicting child sexual exploitation from an IP address geo-located to Tuluksak, Alaska. The video depicted children engaged in sex acts with adults.

Subsequent investigation revealed that the suspect, later identified as Douglas, was using peer-to-peer software to download, view and distribute images of child sexual exploitation on a laptop he borrowed from the Yupiit School District where he worked as a teacher.

In June of 2017, the Alaska State Troopers Violent Offenders Unit executed several search warrants for Douglas’s person and residence in Tuluksak. Douglas was identified, contacted and interviewed. Douglas initially denied using file sharing software and stated that troopers would not find any child sexual exploitation on his electronic devices. However the Trooper conducting the interview observed a laptop near Douglas that displayed titles consistent with child sexual exploitation. When confronted with this evidence Douglas admitted to using peer-to-peer file sharing software, and using that software to download images of child sexual abuse.

Multiple electronic devices were forensically examined by investigators. Investigators found approximately 2,000 images and videos of child sexual exploitation.

At sentencing, Judge Dwayne McConnell acknowledged the damage caused to the victims depicted in images and videos of child exploitation.

In addition to his incarceration, Douglas will be on supervised probation for five years, and be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years following his release.

According to the assigned prosecutor Assistant Attorney General Thomas J. Aliberti, “this case provides a reminder that the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Law remain committed to investigating and prosecuting cases of child sexual exploitation statewide.”

CONTACT: Assistant Attorney General Thomas J. Aliberti @ (907) 269-6339 or Thomas.Aliberti@alaska.gov

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.