Former Kivalina Teacher Arrested and Charged for Child Exploitation Crimes

Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder announced that Jayson Knox, a/k/a “Birdie,” 21, a former substitute teacher at the McQueen School in Kivalina, Alaska, has been charged with attempted sexual exploitation of a child, transfer of obscene material to a minor, and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.  Knox was arrested yesterday, and is currently awaiting his initial court appearance.

According to court documents, Knox became the subject of a federal investigation earlier this month when the Alaska State Troopers contacted the FBI concerning allegations that Knox had engaged in inappropriate conduct with minors in Kivalina.  The complaint alleges that Knox used text messages and social media to communicate with 10 minors in Kivalina to send and request sexually explicit images. The complaint also alleges that Knox used text messages and social media to make attempts to set up meetings with some of the minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

If the public has any further information regarding Knox’s activities,

please contact Anchorage FBI at (907) 276-4441.

If convicted, Knox faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in federal prison. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Alaska State Troopers (AST) conducted the investigation leading to the charges in this case.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Doty of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska.

This case is part of the Rural Alaska Anti-Violence Enforcement Network (RAAVEN) Working Group’s ongoing efforts to increase engagement, coordination, and action on public safety in Alaska Native communities.

The investigation is also part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.  Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood combines federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.  For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The charges in the criminal complaint are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.