Special prosecutor charges former Alaska attorney general nominee with sexual abuse of a minor

A particular prosecutor on Friday charged former Alaska Legal professional Common-designee Ed Sniffen with three counts of third-degree sexual abuse of a minor.

Third-degree sexual abuse of a minor is a Class C felony punishable by two to 12 years in jail.

Alaska courthouses are closed on Friday afternoons, and the costs haven’t but been processed by the Alaska Courtroom System, however Deputy Legal professional Common Cori Mills supplied the main points in an e-mail to Alaska Division of Regulation workers.

“Now that costs have been filed,” she wrote, “a grand jury will decide whether or not to indict based mostly on the proof introduced to them.”

She added that the charging determination was made by particular prosecutor Gregg Olson, “and all different prosecutorial actions on this case will likewise be dealt with by the particular prosecutor.”

Reached by telephone, Olson confirmed the data within the e-mail however mentioned he couldn’t present additional particulars till the case has been processed and entered by the courtroom system.

The costs are associated to Sniffen’s alleged sexual relationship with a 17-year-old woman in 1991, when she was a highschool scholar and Sniffen was the coach of her faculty’s mock trial group. Sniffen was 27 on the time.

The connection got here to gentle in early 2021 after an investigation by the Anchorage Every day Information and ProPublica.

At the moment, Gov. Mike Dunleavy had named Sniffen his most well-liked alternative for Legal professional Common Kevin Clarkson, who resigned after a unique ADN investigation discovered he had despatched a whole bunch of undesirable textual content messages to a subordinate.

Sniffen, who was by no means confirmed by the Alaska Legislature, had been a longtime worker of the Division of Regulation, becoming a member of the company in 2000 and dealing in a wide range of roles till his departure.

Legal professional Caitlin Shortell, representing the lady within the alleged relationship, mentioned she had no remark Friday and that the lady was unavailable for an interview.

Sniffen has been represented by lawyer Jeffrey Robinson, who didn’t instantly reply a message left at his workplace.

In Mills’ letter to Division of Regulation workers, she mentioned Sniffen labored alongside individuals on the division for a few years.

“He was a valued colleague and to many people, a pal,” she wrote. “As we speak’s submitting of costs could also be disappointing and even discouraging, however our division serves all of the individuals of Alaska and is dedicated to equity and justice for everybody.”