(Ketchikan, AK) –Last week, Superior Court Judge Katherine Lybrand sentenced 72-year-old Dwight “Chris” John to 50 years with 30 years suspended and 20 years to serve for a conviction for sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree.
John was initially charged with multiple sexual offenses, based on conduct from April 2017 to April 2022. John, who was a local church leader, pleaded guilty pursuant to a plea agreement with the State to a consolidated charge with an agreed-upon sentence. As part of the plea agreement, John admitted to two aggravating factors applied to his behavior: first, that his behavior was among the most serious contemplated under the statute; and second, that he had previously engaged in similar and repeated behavior with the same victim.
The victim’s father spoke to the court at sentencing. He told the court that the pain, sorrow, and damage the defendant caused has not been fully realized at this point. He explained that the defendant’s actions tore apart their family and caused them to leave the State to start fresh elsewhere. He spoke of the impact the abuse had on the victim and discussed how the family is leaning on their faith to aid in their healing. He thanked Ms. Woolfstead, Judge Lybrand, and Trooper Hargis for their work on the case and aiding their family to navigate through the court process.
Assistant Attorney General Bailey Woolfstead asked the court to accept the agreement of the parties. She noted that the harm to the victim was compounded by the position of trust and authority that John held, both as a family member as well as a church leader. Woolfstead told the court the significant sentence recognizes the lifelong impacts this type of insidious and continued abuse has on children. She recognized that while there is no way to restore the victim to the innocent child she was prior to the abuse by the defendant, the sentence recognized the seriousness of the abuse the victim suffered, and will allow her to more fully immerse herself in the healing process.
John’s lawyer, Jay Hochberg, also recognized the seriousness of John’s actions and discussed how they are difficult for friends and family to understand given John’s decades of service to his family and the community. He stated that John is now taking responsibility for his actions and showing repentance. Hochberg told the court that John made admissions to his family and the Troopers, returned to the State knowing he would likely be arrested, and chose not to be released on bail recognizing the impact that would have on his victim. Hochberg told the court all those actions showed John’s remorse. John spoke to the judge and said he was deeply sorry for his actions and the impact they had on the victim and the rest of his family and friends.
In handing down the sentence, Judge Lybrand praised the victim for being courageous, brave, and strong in coming forward and reporting the abuse. She stated that the community is protected by this sentence because if John is ever released from custody, he will be a very elderly man, subject to strict probation conditions crafted to protect the community. Judge Lybrand recognized that the impacts to the victim and community were profound and ruled that the aggravated sentence John is receiving appropriately takes into account the impacts of his actions.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Bailey Woolfstead of the Office of Special Prosecutions Rural Prosecution Unit.
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