Pair of family members charged with abuse

WASILLA — Two members of the same family unit were arrested Friday, charged with abusing multiple children over the course of decades.

According to a press release from Alaska State Troopers, Shawn O’Shea-Grantham, 71, of Wasilla, was charged with four counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor and one count of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor. Maliea O’Shea-Grantham was charged with three counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

Sky Johnson says she is one of the people troopers allege Shawn O’Shea-Grantham victimized. She said she and the others named as victims were raised in homes in Wasilla.

“We were not allowed to go to school, we were not allowed to go to church, we were not allowed to talk to neighbors,” she said. “We were very isolated and well-rehearsed when we had interactions with the community.”

Troopers say allegations of abuse surfaced Feb. 1 and that the person Shawn O’Shea-Grantham allegedly abused was 8 years old.

“Upon further investigation, several counts of physical, sexual abuse and neglect were made by (the girl’s) adult family members,” according to the AST press statement.

Johnson said that Shawn O’Shea-Grantham was her biological grandmother and adopted mother.

Johnson said she began looking into Shawn O’Shea-Grantham’s past at least as far back as 2008. A lot of what she claims she has found was not included in the Alaska State Troopers charges. Since 2008, she said, she has shared her information with various government agencies, including the Office of Children’s Services, the Alaska Court System and finally Alaska State Troopers.

At times, she said, it seemed like no one wanted to listen to her or that she was running into dead-ends. She’s still trying to convince OCS to let her bring the 8-year-old home.

“Something finally did happen and I honestly credit (trooper Toma Calderea) in part with saving (the 8-year-old girl) because she was taken out of the home in February,” Johnson said.

Johnson seemed relieved that the O’Shea-Grantham were behind bars and that her worry over starting trouble with the 8-year-old still under their control has been put to bed.

She also seemed relieved that events had proven her adoptive mother wrong. When she would talk about turning her in, Johnson said, O’Shea-Grantham would tell her it wouldn’t do any good. No one would believe her.

“She’d say, ‘they’re going to see me as a sweet little old lady and see you as three stupid kids,’” Johnson said.

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