Wasilla man arrested on sex assault charges

PALMER — A Wasilla man was arraigned in Palmer District Court March 20 on multiple sexually assault charges for having sex with children.

James Nix, 40, was charged with 14 counts of sexually abusing children, some of whom are his relatives, according to charging documents filed March 20. Nine of the counts are first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, an unclassified felony with a maximum 99-year sentence upon conviction.

The victim’s mother reported to troopers March 18 that her daughter had reported having sex with Nix numerous times over the preceding year.

When troopers interviewed the girl, she said she had been assaulted at various locations, including in a Jacuzzi, in Nix’s car, in a hospital room at Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, and in Nix’s bedroom, according to an affidavit written by Alaska State Trooper Sherry L. Ferno. She said Nix told her not to tell others, in part because he would go to jail.

When the mother confronted Nix over the phone while troopers listened, Nix blamed drugs, Ferno wrote.

“I was in a sick place when I was on that dope,” he reportedly said. “I was on the dope. I am not doing it still, I haven’t been for awhile.”

An hour later, troopers went to the Nix’s residence to perform a welfare check, based on the confrontation, and took him into custody. When he was interviewed by troopers, Nix waived his Miranda rights, Ferno wrote.

He remained in the Mat-Su Pretrial Facility Friday evening on $150,000 bail with court-appointed third-party custody requirements.

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