An Utqiagvik man, Donovan Nungasak, was sentenced on Apr. 3 to 18 years in prison for sexually exploiting minors to produce child sexual abuse material.
The sentencing underscores ongoing efforts by law enforcement and federal prosecutors to address the exploitation of children through online platforms and digital communication tools.
According to court documents, an anonymous tip received by the FBI in August 2024 led investigators to discover that Nungasak possessed illegal images on his phone and had been corresponding with at least one underage victim for sexual purposes. He sent explicit photos of himself and received similar images from a minor. After his indictment in May 2025, two more victims came forward. One reported that Nungasak began communicating with her when she was about 15, requesting nude images via Instagram and Snapchat and sending her money through an online transfer service. Another minor said she was contacted while in high school via Facebook Messenger and Snapchat; although Nungasak requested explicit images and sent inappropriate photos of himself, she blocked him without responding further.
Investigators found a total of 41 illegal images on Nungasak’s phone, some depicting prepubescent girls. A witness also told authorities that Nungasak admitted he liked younger girls because he could “groom” them according to his preferences.
Nungasak was arrested at his home on April 28, 2025, after which a grand jury indicted him for child exploitation offenses. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2025, to one count of production of child pornography. In addition to prison time, the court ordered him to serve twenty years of supervised release following incarceration.
“Mr. Nungasak targeted young females because he liked to control and exploit their perceived vulnerabilities and then lied about his conduct when confronted on multiple levels,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “His sick torment is over thanks to the actions of law enforcement, our attorneys and the victims and witnesses that came forward during the investigation. He will now spend nearly two decades behind bars.”
“There is no greater priority than safeguarding our children from predators like Nungasak, whose disturbing pattern of conduct involved grooming minors for CSAM in his own local community,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office.
The case was investigated by the FBI Anchorage Field Office with assistance from North Slope Borough Police Department; Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted it.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood—a national initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation through coordinated efforts among federal agencies.
