Publisher's Notebook: The war on child sexual assault in the Mat-Su Valley

Since May of this year, the Mat-Su Valley has seen the arrest of three accused child sexual assaulters. All three are part of separate cases and 13 victims so far have come forward. More victims in two of the cases are suspected. We may never know the true total. These three men who allegedly preyed upon the children of our community for their own demented gratification went undetected. All were in a position of trust.

Our editorial team faces many challenges in reporting the news. From verifying reliable sources, discerning what is a true news story from a rumor, to meeting deadlines and everything in between. I would say one the most difficult of tasks is reading through the court records of cases like the three I mentioned above. The graphic details can make one ill. It’s gut-wrenching and heartbreaking. After reading through these three cases, I’m convinced of one thing. There is an element in our society that will do anything to mentally capture our most precious resource — our children — and manipulate them for their own deranged satisfaction.

We are in a real battle that in the past five months has produced enough victims that tells me we are in crisis mode. The enemy in this battle has infiltrated our community. They have positioned themselves in our community so that they can choose the most vulnerable and the most available for their harmful needs.

Seth Loggins, 27, of Wasilla, is accused by at least eight children of sexual abuse of boys and girls between the ages of 4 and 14. The accusations against him are sadistic and cruel. What he allegedly put these children through will affect them in ways we can’t imagine. Loggins, a former bus driver, gained his position of trust through a local church. He would volunteer to take children out on excursions to local parks and other exciting adventures that any child would want to go. He gained the trust of church leaders to the point that he had keys to the church’s facility. Unsuspecting parents including his and other adults thought nothing of it until one day a little boy told his mother that Seth spanked him and what unraveled from there is too graphic for these pages. Multiple children suffered physical and mental harm. The ‘spanking’ accompanied other forms of torture. Loggins, according to authorities, was able to keep the children’s silence through threats of violence to them and or family members. The little boy who had the courage to tell his mother what was happening to him is a victim and a hero. The mother acted decisively and swiftly. There is no appreciating how horrified she must have been. Her actions ended a reign of terror for the children who have come forward and the victims who may still be out there unaccounted for to date.

Jeremy Strunk, 39, of Wasilla, had a good job at a local business, a talented musician who played in various local bands and taught music to others. Strunk was arrested for several accounts of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree. According to the arrest affidavit, he began abusing the child when she was 6 years old and it didn’t end until the victim was 12 — six very influential years in the girl’s life. Strunk’s abuse would take place at every opportunity he found. I’ll spare you the details but his abuse didn’t end until he was caught in the act. His method was keeping the victim silent. According to police, he told her if she told anyone he would go to jail and that would hurt his wife and children. What is a little girl to think who has been abused almost as long as she can remember? Strunk was also part of a nationwide sweep of over 2,300 child sex predators. The result of a three-month investigation dubbed ‘Operation Broken Heart’. Seven men in Alaska were arrested. Strunk was amongst the seven.

Lukis Nighswonger, 36, of Wasilla, was the high-fiving teacher at Iditarod Elementary who gained the trust of colleagues and parents by his outgoing and infectious personality. Fourth grade students wanted to be in ‘Mr. Nigh’s’ class. Parents requested him to be their teacher. He knew the kids in the school by name and most of the parents, too. He made them feel special. When the news broke on the evening of Sept. 26 that Nighswonger had been arrested for abusing a former student it sent shock waves through our community. Hundreds, if not thousands, of parents and loved ones had to process how to ask their child if Nighswonger had assaulted them, as well. So far, four have come forward. One is now 19 years old. Nighswonger, who has taught at Iditarod since 2005, is a self-professed pedophile and stated he has been attracted to children as long as he can remember. Manipulation of his stature was more his tactic than threat. Who would believe that this well-respected teacher would do such a thing?

Parents took to social media the night of the arrest with statements such as ‘He’s a good man and my kids love him. I need to see the evidence before I believe this.’ Then Nighswonger dashed any hopes of supporters with his confessed pedophilia. He shouldn’t be allowed to dilute his abuse with the word ‘pedophile.’ By the statements in his arrest affidavit, he is a serial child sexual assaulter. The abuse happened in his classroom in the presence of children according to the statement from one accuser. Reading the details from the court documents it seems his abuse was random and impulsive. The sex of the victim didn’t matter. One brave boy and his parents brought allegations to the Wasilla Police Department in 2012. Due to a lack of evidence the case never moved forward and because there were no charges, the Mat-Su School District was not informed. But finally, because of the bravery of a child who was abused years before, Nighswonger’s random abuse has ended.

The terror that these men stand accused of is an all-out raid of our children’s innocence. Is there any doubt there are more out there who has gained the trust of the victim’s families? What can be done about it?

The Alaska Safe Children’s Act that went into effect on June 30, 2017 is a great start. More specifically, Erin’s Law that requires each school district in Alaska to adopt and implement training for teachers and students concerning sexual assault awareness and prevention for students enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12. The materials available are tremendous. The curriculum that is now utilized by the Mat-Su School District is deep and far-reaching. I’m sure the Mat-Su School District’s public information office is more than willing to share their materials for parents and loved ones to discuss at home. The program is in its infancy but the future in the war on child terror looks promising because of this action.

The obstacle to overcome is to emphasize with the child that some secrets are not safe. And not good for their well-being. As a parent myself, I had very brief discussions with my kids about the issue and looking back, I left my children’s well-being to chance. My advice to parents now is to get uncomfortable. Don’t be afraid to have the conversation and ask outright. Don’t ever believe it won’t happen to your child. Look for the signs. Has your child withdrawn? Is there a change in attitude about an adult they trusted? Do they minimize the screen on the electronic device they are using when you walk into the room?

Confront and conquer.

The war on child sexual assault is much like the war on terrorism. The enemy is almost unidentifiable until the act of aggression has been committed and the victims point to their assailant. It is going to take a grassroots effort to prevent as many victims as possible yet knowing that not all will be prevented. Most importantly, truly trusted adults have to be able to have the fortitude to ask the questions that need to be asked in order to expose the enemy. Our children are counting on us even if they don’t realize it.