Darold Love Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison for Sexual Assault

August 20, 2026

(Juneau, AK) - On Aug. 14, 2026, Judge Jason Gist sentenced Darold Greg Love, 67, to 77 years in prison with 17 years suspended, resulting in an initial active term of imprisonment of 60 years as a result of his conviction for Sexual Assault in the First Degree and Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Second Degree. Due to the nature of his conviction, Love is ineligible for either mandatory or discretionary parole.

In March 2026, Love was convicted at trial for forcibly sexually assaulting a child who was living with Love and his wife. The victim became pregnant as a result of the assault and ultimately gave birth to a child. Love had previously been convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the First Degree in 2001 after an investigation revealed that he had sexually abused other children in his care.

The victim spoke at sentencing about how the sexual assault has continued to impact her relationships to this day and her inability to fully trust or feel safe with those she loves. The court also heard from two of Love's biological children who described the multi-generational impacts and consequences from the abuse Love inflicted on his family members. After hearing these statements and based on the evidence presented at trial, Judge Gist found multiple aggravating factors applied to Love's conduct, allowing for imposition of an active sentence above the presumptive sentencing range of 35-45 years. These factors included that Love's conduct met the standard for "most serious" because he took advantage of an extremely vulnerable teenager who had experienced significant instability in the preceding years and had nowhere else to go.

Investigator Chad Larsen with the Kenai Police Department was the lead investigator in the matter. The Kenai Police Department received assistance in the investigation from members of the Chattanooga Police Department and Sequatchie County Sheriff's Department. Liz Reid, an advocate with the Kenaitze Tribe- Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program provided advocacy support throughout trial and at sentencing.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant Attorney General Julie Matucheski, with the assistance of paralegal Julie Craig and Law Office Assistant Patrick Pilatti.

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Department Media Contact: Information Officer Sam Curtis at [email protected] or (907) 269-6269.

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