Peninsula High School teacher Nathan Erfurth. Image-file photo
(Kenai, AK) – Tuesday, a Kenai jury found 37-year-old Nathaniel E. Erfurth guilty of 24 counts of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Second Degree and four counts of Unlawful Exploitation of a Minor in the First Degree. Erfurth faces a presumptive sentencing range of 5 to 15 years for each conviction. The jury also found that the conduct constituting sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree was the “most serious” within the range for that offense. As a result, Mr. Erfurth may face enhanced sentencing.
Mr. Erfurth was a teacher at Soldotna High School. The victim is a former student. Mr. Erfurth developed a parental relationship with the named victim while she was a student. Mr. Erfurth exploited this position of authority and trust to induce the victim to engage in several acts of sexual penetration. The victim and Mr. Erfurth would communicate privately over an end-to-end encrypted messaging application called Signal. Mr. Erfurth would solicit lewd photographs and videos of the victim through this messaging application.
Kenai District Attorney Daniel Strigle prosecuted the case with the assistance of Paralegal Julie Craig, Paralegal Crystal Locke, Law Office Assistant Patrick Pilatti, and Law Office Assistant Aaron Barba. The Alaska State Troopers investigated the case with Investigator Samuel Webber as the primary investigating officer. The State thanks the former student for her fortitude on the witness stand and willingness to hold Mr. Erfurth accountable for his extensive abuse. The State also thanks the jury for their considerable time and attention for a trial that lasted nearly a month.
