David Anderson, an Alaskan resident aged 52, has been handed a 50-year federal prison sentence for the abduction and sexual assault of a teenager. The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed the sentence on Wednesday, suggesting that Anderson will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars. This federal sentence comes after an 85-year sentence was imposed by an Alaska superior court judge in October on charges from the State of Alaska Department of Law.
The case centers on a harrowing event that occurred on a frigid November afternoon in 2022. A 14-year-old girl had just alighted from her school bus in Wasilla, Alaska, and was on her way home when Anderson approached her in his car, feigning disorientation. He succeeded in persuading the girl to get into his car, where he threatened her with a revolver and forced her to mimic smoking from a meth pipe.
Anderson subsequently restrained the girl with duct tape, covered her head with a blanket, physically assaulted her, and sexually abused her. He then fired his revolver in her direction, abandoned her in a wooded area, disassembled the gun, and drove away, assuming she was dead. However, the girl survived the horrifying experience, managed to free herself from the duct tape, and sought help on a nearby road. Anderson was apprehended the following day and detained at the Anchorage Correctional Complex.
The victim participated remotely in Anderson’s federal sentencing hearing, which concluded this week. Anderson, who has been a registered sex offender since 2022 following a conviction for sexually assaulting a minor in 2000, reportedly battled with methamphetamine addiction. After his arrest, he admitted to investigators that he had “unleashed the monster.”
Anderson’s state conviction last year was the result of a plea agreement that dismissed charges such as attempted murder. His heinous crimes, described as “unthinkable” by authorities, have led to widespread relief at his incarceration. U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman for the District of Alaska commended the survivor’s courage and the investigative work of the Alaska State Troopers and FBI.
Alaska State Trooper Colonel Maurice Hughes echoed these sentiments, stating that the combined federal and state sentences ensure Anderson will never be able to harm another child in their community. Wasilla, where the crime took place, is a small city located about 40 miles north of Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city.