Wasilla man faces sex crime charges

WASILLA — A Wasilla man committed sexual assault against a mentally incapable person, authorities say.

Timothy S. West, 55, faces one count of first-degree sexual assault for “penetration with … a person who the offender knew was mentally incapable and who was in the offender’s care by authority of law,” according to an indictment filed May 26. West also faces one count of second-degree sexual assault against the same person, according to the indictment.

The victim is identified only by initials in court filings. The Frontiersman withholds the names of victims of sex crimes to protect their privacy.

Few additional details were available in West’s court file. He was arrested in Willow on May 27 at 11 a.m., according to a receipt for the prisoner in the court file. The date of the alleged offense is June 1, 2015.

Bail was set at $25,000 cash with a court-approved third-party custodian requirement, according to court records.

He remained in Mat-Su Pretrial Thursday afternoon.

West’s next court appearance will be July 22 at 9 a.m. for a Pre-Trial Conference in Superior Court.

First-degree sexual assault is an unclassified felony with a potential maximum sentence of 99 years and potential maximum fine of $500,000 on conviction.

Second Degree Sexual Assault is a Class B Felony with a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000 on conviction.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story incorrectly listed the offense date as June 1, 2016.