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Kenai man sentenced for sexual abuse of a minor

Jeremiah Barton was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty.

Jeremiah Barton, 33, of Kenai was sentenced on Nov. 19 by Kenai Superior Court Judge Lance Joanis to serve seven years in prison after pleading guilty to a consolidated count of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

Barton was sentenced to 15 years with eight years suspended. Following his release from custody, he will be required to register as a sex offender. He will also be on felony probation for 15 years.

According to a Nov. 25 press release from the Alaska Department of Law, Barton’s sentencing is the result of a multi-year investigation by the Kenai Police Department, which ultimately found that Barton had sexually abused two young children for whom his mother was providing childcare from 2011 to 2013.

KPD Investigator Chad Larsen took over the investigation in 2024. Barton was charged in March 2025.

According to the release, the “relatively quick disposition” of the case is “the direct result of the bravery” of one of the victims confronting Barton about his conduct in recorded communications before his arrest. Barton also “made multiple admissions to the charged conduct” in an suspect interview conducted by Larsen.

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