Joshua Aseltine Sentenced to 28 Years for Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Possession of Child Pornography

December 5, 2025

(Kenai, AK) - Yesterday, Kenai Superior Court Judge Kelly Lawson sentenced 44-year-old Joshua Aseltine to serve 28 years for sexual abuse of a minor and for possessing child pornography, pursuant to a plea agreement.

Judge Lawson sentenced Aseltine to 30 years with 10 years suspended for his conviction of a consolidated count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Second Degree. Aseltine was further convicted of and sentenced for a consolidated count of Possession of Child Pornography and ordered to serve 30 years with 15 years suspended. The composite sentence the Court imposed for the two convictions was 60 years with 25 years suspended. After accounting for some of the active time imposed to run concurrently, Aseltine was ordered to serve an initial active term of imprisonment of 28 years.

On his release from custody, Aseltine will be on felony probation for a period of 20 years, and he will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
The imposed sentence was aggravated partially as a result of Aseltine's prior criminal history, which includes three felony convictions. More significantly, the negotiated plea agreement reflects that isolation and community condemnation were the primary factors for the State in making any plea offer due to the presence of multiple aggravating factors, specifically that the conduct at issue was the "most serious" for the offenses he pleaded guilty to and that there was more than a 10-year age difference between Aseltine and both victims.

Aseltine's convictions were the result of a multi-year investigation where it was learned he had provided two female minors with controlled substances and engaged in repeated acts of sexual penetration with the two female minors who were between 13 and 15 years of age at the time. Aseltine also coerced and threatened one of the minors and repeatedly encouraged her to engage in video calls with him where he would solicit her to engage in sexual acts. Aseltine recorded these calls without the victim's knowledge.

The Alaska State Troopers were the primary investigating agency with multiple law enforcement officers contributing to the investigation. The two primary officers who investigated were Sergeant Edwin Anderson and Investigator Kevin Gill. Although the matter took some time to investigate and resolve, the outcome reflects both the strength and thoroughness of the investigation and the bravery of the two victims to disclose the abuse and confront their abuser. Through this plea agreement, Aseltine is held accountable for his conduct while minimizing further impact on the victims.

Deputy District Attorney Julie L. Matucheski prosecuted the case with the assistance of Paralegal Julie Craig and Law Office Assistant Patrick Pilatti.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at [email protected] or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at [email protected] or (907) 269-6269.