Press Release

Jeremiah Barton Sentenced to Seven Years for Sexual Abuse of a Minor

November 25, 2025

(Kenai, AK) – On Nov. 19, Kenai Superior Court Judge Lance Joanis sentenced 33-year-old Jeremiah Barton to serve 15 years with 8 years suspended, leaving 7 years to serve, following his guilty plea to a consolidated count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Second Degree.

On his release from custody, Barton will be on felony probation for a period of 15 years, and he will be required to register as a sex offender.

Barton’s conviction is the result of a multi-year investigation where it was learned he had engaged in repeated acts of sexual contact from 2011 to 2013 with two young children for whom his mother had provided childcare services.

Investigator Chad Larsen with the Kenai Police Department took over the ongoing investigation in 2024 and determinedly pursued every investigative lead to bring forward a prosecutable case and to provide justice to the victims. Barton was charged in March 2025. The relatively quick disposition of the case after charging is the direct result of the bravery of one of the victims in confronting Barton about his conduct in recorded communications prior to his arrest and the suspect interview that Investigator Larsen conducted with Barton, where Barton made multiple admissions to the charged conduct.

Deputy District Attorney Julie L. Matucheski prosecuted the case with the assistance of Paralegal Julie Craig and Law Office Assistant Patrick Pilatti. The primary investigating agency was the Kenai Police Department, with the assistance of the Meridian Police Department in Meridian, Idaho.

# # #

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.