The Walker administration is proposing a fix during the upcoming legislative session for a loophole in the state’s sex offense laws, plus other policy changes to better allow the criminal justice system to address sexual violence in Alaska.
The announcement comes in the wake of a mid-September decision in Anchorage in which Superior Court Judge Michael Corey dismissed a case of kidnapping and first-degree harassment against former air traffic controller Justin Schneider. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment with one year suspended and was given credit for a year spent under house arrest.
According to charging documents, Schneider choked an Alaska Native woman to whom he had offered a ride and then masturbated over her unconscious body.
He also told the woman he would kill her if she screamed, Anchorage police detective Brett Sarber said in a sworn affidavit.
“Every victim deserves justice,” said Gov. Bill Walker. “This sort of outcome makes it even more difficult for victims to come forward. The punishment in this case in no way matched the severity of the crime.”
Walker’s office said that next week, in an update to the Public Safety Action Plan, that he will release legislation that makes causing unwanted contact with semen a sex offense. The penalty for a first-time offense carries jail time of two to 12 years and requires registration as a sex offender.
John Skidmore, criminal division director for the Alaska Department of Law, said in a press release that Schneider was sentenced in accordance with current law.
“Though it is understandable that some feel his sentence was not sufficiently harsh, all prosecutors are ethically required to follow the law, no matter how disturbing the facts may be,” he said.
Schneider will be required to undergo sex offender treatment and comply with other monitoring conditions under a plea agreement he reached with the state.
