Wasilla man charged with sex abuse

PALMER — A grand jury has indicted a 61-year-old man on five sexual abuse charges, according to court documents.

Ronald Guthrie, of Wasilla, stands accused of three counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor and two counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, according to an indictment filed in the Palmer court Nov. 21.

Four of the counts pertain to crimes allegedly committed in 2007 against a girl who was 12 years old at the time, according to the grand jury indictment. A single count pertains to an act allegedly perpetrated this spring on a nine-year-old, according to a grand jury indictment.

Guthrie had previously been accused in Ketchikan district court of two counts of sexual abuse of a minor in March 1985, according to Alaska court documents. The case went to trial in December 1985, according to a case history. However, the counts were dismissed prior to 2010, when Alaska court documents were converted for online access, Alaska court records show.

Guthrie also pleaded not guilty to fourth-degree drugs misconduct charges in 1994, court records show.

Borough property records list and address for Guthrie in the Knik-Fairview area.

He remained in jail Monday afternoon on a $50,000 bond with court-appointed third-party requirements.

First-degree sexual abuse of a minor is an unclassified felony. If convicted, Guthrie faces up to 99 years jail time and a fine of $500,000 on each count. Second-degree sexual abuse of a minor is a Class B felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $100,000 for each count.