A Kotzebue man was arrested for sex trafficking of a minor on Monday afternoon, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska announced.

Wally Roy Carter, 61, was arrested on Dec. 17 and will remain incarcerated pending trial, said U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroeder in a news release.

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is focused on protecting the citizens of rural Alaska, especially young people.” Schroder said in the news release. “With the additional prosecutors provided by Attorney General Barr after his visit to Alaska in June 2019, we are charging more cases in the remote areas of the state, fulfilling his admonition that all citizens deserve public safety protection.”

Carter faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years incarceration if convicted of sex trafficking of a minor. Carter became the subject of an investigation in November, according to the U.S. attorney’s office, after the FBI received a tip alleging that a minor had been sexually abused by Carter at least 15 times over three years, beginning when the victim was 10 years old.

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“The FBI is dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of Alaska’s youth, and today’s charges send a clear message that crimes against children, in both urban and rural Alaska, will never be tolerated,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Britt, who leads their Anchorage detachment, in a release. “Our collective efforts to promote public safety in rural Alaska remain steadfast, and by using a multi-agency approach, the FBI will continue to investigate, disrupt, and hold accountable those who prey upon the children of our communities.”

The investigation was carried out by members of the FBI, Alaska State Troopers, Anchorage Police Department and Kotzebue Police Department,,according to the U.S. attorney’s office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Doty is prosecuting the case.

• Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at (757) 621-1197 or mlockett@juneauempire.com.