Palmer resident guilty of sex abuse faces 88 years in prison

PALMER — A former Valley resident faces at least an 88-year prison sentence after pleading guilty Friday to sexual abusing children, authorities said.

Robert Cunningham, 49, formerly of Palmer, had faced 41 counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, five counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, and one count of possession of child pornography, court records show. After a plea deal filed with the Palmer District Attorney, Cunningham pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

The investigation started in January 2013, after two unnamed victims contacted Alaska State Troopers, saying they had been sexually abused over the course of a decade, starting when they were 5 and 6 years old respectively.

Between when the investigation began and his indictment, Cunningham fled to Oregon, where he was apprehended in Eugene Oregon, in cooperation with the Oregon State Police and extradited to Alaska, according to Alaska State Troopers. Both victims are adults, according to an Alaska State Trooper media report. Cunningham was indicted in the Palmer Court in April, state court documents show.

Cunningham had previously been convicted of a federal charge of possession of child pornography in 2001, and awaits sentencing on a related federal charge filed with the Alaska U.S. District court on Nov. 22, 2013. Cunningham was arraigned on that charge Nov. 27, 2013.

In addition to the prison time, Cunningham faces 15 years probation and lifetime requirement that he register as a sex offender.

The case file wasn’t immediately available at the Palmer Courthouse Monday morning. Authorities weren’t releasing any additional details given the sensitive nature of the investigation and the ongoing federal court procedure, said Troopers Spokeswoman Megan Peters.

Cunningham is listed as the owner of property valued at $301,300 in Butte.

Cunningham remained in Mat-Su Pretrial Monday afternoon.

Contact Brian O’Connor at 352-2269 or brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com.