Convicted sex offender arrested on 46 new counts of child molestation
All incidents alleged in the new case date back to the 1990s
Donald James Chase, 47, was arrested by troopers Friday on a warrant charging him with 45 counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, one count of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor and one count of third-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance.
Chase was lodged in the Lemon Creek Correctional Center. Bail was set at $100,000. He is scheduled to enter a plea today at his Superior Court arraignment.
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All of the incidents alleged in the new case date from the 1990s.
In the first case, Juneau Superior Court Judge Patricia Collins imposed four years in jail with three suspended and five years on probation. She required sex-offender registry for 15 years, following the plea agreement in the case.
According to court records, Collins said she had concerns about the plea and sentence bargain. The victim, then 19, said in court that it was lenient, considering that she would live with the results of Chase's actions for the rest of her life.
Juneau Assistant District Attorney Doug Gardner said during the hearing that the plea took into consideration evidence issues and the victim's wishes not to relive the painful events in the courtroom.
In a pretrial motion, defense attorney Louis Menendez questioned whether the woman's story about being molested at age 12 could be believed. He noted that the state chose not to prosecute the case when the girl first came forward with the story in 2001.
According to court records, the woman said Chase began having sex with her when she was 12 in 1995. She said the activity continued until she was 15, and she has continuing nightmares about it.
The new case alleges Chase committed earlier incidents of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. Crimes are alleged to have occurred in 1990, 1993 and 1994, as well as 1996.
The usual prison sentence for first-degree sexual abuse of a minor is eight years for someone with no prior felony convictions and 20 years for someone with a prior felony conviction involving sex, according to Alaska law. Each charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 40 years.
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