Former state prison officer charged with abusing child

PALMER - A former prison corrections officer has been accused of sexually abusing a 6-year-old relative.

Robert L. Busby, 54, was summoned to appear April 25 in Palmer Superior Court to face two charges of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

Busby, until recently, was employed at the Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward. According to Investigator Dennis Ponder of the Alaska State Troopers, Busby left his job shortly after Ponder questioned him in February about the sex abuse allegations.

The incident was brought to light when the girl, while watching a movie, said something of a sexual nature in the presence of one of her parents. When the parent questioned the child, the girl said Busby had asked her to touch his genitals on an occasion last summer.

An adult family member who learned about the girls claim told troopers Busby had molested her as well on two occasions when she was a child, but said she had never reported the alleged incidents.

The 6-year-old gave more information about two alleged incidents of sexual contact with Busby during an interview with a member of the local Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). In that interview, the girl said that, after one of the alleged incidents, Busby told her it was a secret and that she should not tell anyone.

According to court documents, troopers obtained an electronic search warrant to record several conversations between Busby and the adult relative. He denied sexually touching the 6-year-old girl or having the girl touch him.

Busby initiated another conversation which was recorded, a court document states. He denied intentionally touching the girl or having her touch him. However, he said an incident did occur between him and the 6-year-old; he said he told the child to forget the incident and not say anything because he did not want the incident misconstrued, court records stated.

On Feb. 24, Ponder interviewed Busby in Seward after Busby received Miranda warnings about his right to remain silent and avoid incriminating himself. In the interview, he denied any intentional contact with the girl.

Busby also denied doing anything sexual to the adult family member when she was a child, but said something could have happened because he was drinking a lot at the time. The sexual acts could have happened during a blackout, he allegedly told investigators.

The following day, Busby was given a polygraph test. Again, Busby denied any intentional sexual contact with the girl, according to the court document.

After the polygraph exam was completed, the examiner confronted Busby about the results of the polygraph test which indicated there was deception evident in Busbys answers.

Busby then allegedly admitted to an incident of sexual contact with the 6-year-old girl, but claimed the act was not his idea and that it didnt go on for very long. Busby also told investigators he recalled some sexual incidents with the adult relative when she was a child, but that his memories were vague because he was drinking at the time.

Second-degree sexual abuse of a minor is a class B felony offense that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.