Aaron “Scott” Merritt, 45, was indicted last Thursday, Oct. 30, by a Kenai grand jury on multiple counts of sexual abuse committed between 1998 and 2002.
According to an Oct. 31 press release from the Alaska State Department of Law, one instance of the abuse was reported to the Kenai Police Department in 2002. However, investigators were “unable to compile sufficient evidence to support prosecution at that time.”
New information and evidence, including additional victim reports, led to the case being reopened and investigated by KPD in 2021.
According to the release, Merritt is charged with sexually abusing four girls between the ages of 5 and 14 who were congregation members of the Kenai Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The abuse took place during a four-year period when Merritt was a ministerial servant in the church.
Merritt is charged with six counts of first-degree sexual assault, one count of second-degree sexual assault, four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, eight counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor and one count of third-degree sexual abuse of a minor.
Merritt was arrested on Oct. 30 and arraigned on Monday. The investigation remains active and ongoing. If convicted at trial, Merritt faces a maximum sentence of up to 99 years in prison.
“This arrest is the result of persistence and determination by our investigators,” Kenai Police Department Chief Dave Ross said in the release. “Even after two decades, we remain committed to pursuing justice and holding individuals accountable for their actions — no matter how much time has passed.”
KPD extended sincere gratitude to the victims for their patience, strength and willingness to come forward even decades later. Their courage in sharing their stories was “instrumental” in this case, the release states.
The release also notes that the charges for which Merritt was indicted are only allegations and are not evidence of guilt. Defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the prosecution must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
KPD encourages anyone who may have additional information or who believes they may have been a victim to contact them at 907-283-7879.
