February 3, 2026
(Juneau, AK) – Today, Dermott Howard, 65, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Larry Woolford to 50 years with 15 years suspended, followed by 15 years of felony probation for one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the First Degree, an unclassified felony offense.
Howard was convicted following a 3-day jury trial in June of last year. The conviction is based on an incident that occurred in Juneau between 2019 and 2021, in which Howard sexually abused a female family member under the age of 13. At sentencing, the victim’s parents both spoke about the impact of Howard’s actions. The State highlighted the victim’s bravery in coming forward to report the abuse and argued the need for Howard to remain in custody in order to protect further children from harm.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Chaudhary and Paralegal Marley Hettinger of the Juneau District Attorney’s Office. The case was investigated by Sergeant Lee Phelps with the Juneau Police Department.
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Department Media Contact: Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.
