Press Release

Repeat Sexual Offender Leonard Olrun Sentenced to 156 Years to Serve for Sexual Abuse of 3 Children

September 12, 2025

(Bethel, AK) – Today, Bethel Superior Court Judge William Montgomery sentenced 58-year-old Leonard Olrun of Mekoryuk to a composite sentence of 156 years and 2 days of incarceration for two counts of Sexual Assault in the First Degree, three counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Second Degree, and two counts of Misconduct Involving a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. Judge Montgomery sentenced Olrun to a composite sentence of 181 years with 25 years suspended, in what appears to be the longest sentence handed down for sexual assault and sexual abuse in the history of the State of Alaska.

Olrun was convicted of these crimes following a two-week jury trial held in Bethel in March 2025. Olrun’s convictions stem from sexually abusing one child from December 2019 to February 2020, sexually assaulting and sexually abusing a second child in the summer of 2020, sexually assaulting, sexually abusing, and providing marijuana to a third child in September 2020, and providing a fourth child with marijuana in January 2021. Olrun has previously been convicted of Sexual Assault in the Second Degree in 1987 and Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Third Degree in 2001. Additionally, Olrun was convicted by a jury of Sexual Assault in the First Degree in 2005, however that conviction was overturned for ineffective assistance of counsel in 2015 and he ultimately pled to the crime of Coercion.

At the trial, the jury found that two aggravating factors applied to the case: that Olrun had been convicted of three or more felony offenses, and that he was more than 10 years older than his victims. Judge Montgomery found that seven additional aggravating factors applied, including that Olrun’s criminal history includes repeated instances of assaultive behavior, that three of the counts were domestic violence and occurred in the home shared by the defendant and victim, and that Olrun had engaged in other sexually assaultive or abusive behavior. Judge Montgomery found that Olrun constituted a “worst offender” under the law.

Assistant Attorney General Bailey Woolfstead asked the court to impose a sentence of 175 years to serve, noting that Olrun’s criminal history now spans four decades and involves 15 separate victims of sexually assaultive, abusive, and/or harassing behavior, most of whom were children. “This case begs the question how many victims does it take, how many lives must one man wreak havoc on, traumatize, and forever alter? How many women and girls must one man sexually assault and abuse before the court ensures he is never in a position to hurt another? The State submits to the court that whatever that number is, it has been far surpassed by Leonard Olrun,” Assistant Attorney General Woolfstead said.

Olrun, through counsel, requested to be sentenced to the mandatory minimum term of 52 years, 6 months, and 3 days.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Montgomery stated that what he wants the community to take from this sentence is that this is a case where the system worked. “A juvenile had the courage to talk to their counselor, and their counselor did what they were supposed to do.” Judge Montgomery noted that the child’s school counselor gained the child’s trust, and the first child reported the abuse to her. The counselor then reported the abuse to the Alaska State Troopers, who investigated the case. “One person with enough courage came forward, the process worked, and the community in Mekoryuk does not have to deal with Mr. Olrun inflicting more pain on that community.”

Assistant Attorney General Bailey Woolfstead of the Office of Special Prosecutions’ Rural Prosecution Unit prosecuted the case along with Bethel District Attorney’s Office Paralegal Bethany Kaiser. Tundra Women’s Coalition provided advocacy support for the victims throughout the case.

# # #

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.