a Ketchikan Police logoThe Ketchikan Police Department’s logo is shown connected a lectern astatine KPD office successful March 2022. (Eric Stone/KRBD)

Warning: This communicative contains specifications of intersexual assault. 

A Ketchikan man was sentenced to complete 13 years successful situation for running an online group that distributed kid intersexual maltreatment material.

U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess successful Juneau handed nan condemnation to 46-year-old Walter Onstad past Wednesday. Onstad pled blameworthy to 1 felony count of distributing kid pornography successful early 2023.

Alaska District Attorney S. Lane Tucker said successful a written connection connected Wednesday that Onstad was responsible for sharing hundreds of images of kid intersexual maltreatment done a Kik messaging group called “Anything Goes.”

Onstad was an administrator of nan “Anything Goes” group chat. In 2022, nan National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a extremity from Kik – nan messaging tract that nan pedophile group utilized – that Onstad had sent a twelve images and videos of big men sexually abusing minors nether nan property of 12. Some were infants and toddlers.

Investigators past recovered retired that erstwhile caller members wanted to participate nan group, they would supply Onstad pinch images of kid intersexual abuse. Onstad would past personally verify them, upload them to nan group chat, and assistance nan caller members entree to nan group. 

During nan investigation, Onstad admitted to helping administer complete 600 illicit images crossed nan backstage messaging group, arsenic good arsenic nan blog tract Tumblr. Law enforcement says that he was successful possession of complete 300 images and videos erstwhile they seized his phone. 

The felony complaint against Onstad is for nan distribution of kid pornography. The authorities primitively pursued criminal possession charges for nan illicit images connected Onstad’s phone. Those charges were dismissed, though Onstad could beryllium charged again successful nan future.

It’s unclear whether different charges will stem from nan “Anything Goes” group. Tucker said that nan DA’s agency will proceed to clasp group for illustration Onstad responsible for nan “incalculable harm they’ve caused.”