Palmer man charged with molesting 3 girls

By Andrew Wellner

Frontiersman

WASILLA — Alaska State Troopers arrested a Palmer man Thursday, charging him with 24 counts of sexual abuse of a minor.

According to a report investigator Luis Nieves filed with the case, relatives of John Malcom Groff, 66, confronted the man July 18 with allegations from three girls who allege Groff had molested them at his Wasilla cabin.

The same relatives relayed their report to the Office of Children Services, which in turn called troopers Monday, Nieves says in his report. Troopers opened an investigation, and shortly before noon Thursday, Groff came to the Palmer trooper post saying he wished to turn himself in.

In interviews, the three girls — ages 7, 12 and 12 — told troopers Groff would molest them primarily at bedtime and in the morning, Nieves reports.

One girl said that, during one morning incident, she and another girl kicked Groff until he stopped touching them, at which point he left the bedroom, yelling at them to get out of bed, the report says. Another girl said that whenever Groff touched her she would run out of the cabin afterwards and hide in the woods.

In his interview with troopers, Groff admitted to molesting two of the girls but, at least initially, denied touching the third, Nieves wrote.

But according to Nieves’ report, Groff also told troopers, “If she said it happened he would not call her a liar. Groff said it is possible he has forgotten.”

Groff also told troopers he believes that his child molestation “is a disease,” the report says.

Groff said he would never hurt a child and, in these instances, only wanted to “open the communication door” so the girls “would feel comfortable talking to him about sex,” Nieves says in his report, noting that Groff also said the girls never talked to him about sex.

Groff was jailed at the Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility, where records show he remains. According to troopers, no bail amount was initially set.

He is charged with 24 counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor. His first court hearing was Friday.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.