Wasilla man charged with sexual abuse of girl

KATE GOLDEN/Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - A Wasilla man has been indicted by a grand jury for allegedly sexually abusing a young girl many times over the past five years.

Alaska State Troopers from the Child Abuse Investigation Unit and the Wasilla Police Department received a report that Glen Ogletree, 46, had sexually abused a young girl.

A grand jury indicted Ogletree Feb. 19 on five counts of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, unlawful exploitation of a minor, first-degree burglary and violation of a domestic-violence restraining order.

The grand jury also noted aggravating circumstances to the case: that Ogletree should have recognized the girl was vulnerable; that the charges, which include multiple instances of penetration, involve the most serious conduct in the definition of the offense and that he was charged with committing such a crime against a member of his own household.

The girl, now 15, told her mother Feb. 11 that Ogletree had been sexually abusing her since she was nine or 10, according to an affidavit filed by Wasilla Police investigator Ruthan Josten. Immediately thereafter, the mother contacted the Wasilla Police Department.

The case was investigated by the Alaska State Troopers' Child Abuse Investigation Unit, which consists of Josten and two troopers.

On Feb. 11, with an electronic search warrant, Josten recorded Ogletree "admitting that 'they' couldn't find out about them having sex and that he wouldn't tell," as he conversed with the girl on the phone.

In that conversation, Ogletree also admitted taking nude photographs of the girl, Josten's report stated.

The mother told Josten she found child pornography on her computer, and the girl told the investigator that Ogletree had taken nude photographs of her.

Ogletree was arrested Feb. 19.

At the time of the abuse, Ogletree was the mother's live-in boyfriend, charging documents stated. He has been living in Anchorage recently.

The mother described Ogletree as "extremely mentally unstable" in her petition for a domestic-violence restraining order, which was served Feb. 3. She alleged that he threatened her and her children, and was treating her daughter "like his wife."

The original restraining order mandated there be no contact between Ogletree and his ex-girlfriend. It was revised Feb. 24 to a long-term order including the two children of the household after Ogletree reportedly violated it Feb. 6 by breaking into the shed at the house, leaving a note for the girl inside a DVD player in the house and also sending Beaver a three-page e-mail.

Further charges are pending, according to a trooper press release issued Friday.

First-degree sexual abuse of a minor is an unclassified sexual offense punishable by a maximum of 30 years in prison for a first conviction and a maximum fine of $75,000. An attempt of this crime is a class A felony punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison for a first conviction and $50,000.

Ogletree is being held at Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility in lieu of $100,000 bail. A trial is scheduled for May 9.