S. Lane Tucker, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office District of Alaska
An Utqiagvik man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for producing child pornography, with an additional 10 years of supervised release. The case involved Billy Ray Okpeaha Jr., who engaged in online exchanges with an undercover detective posing as a 13-year-old girl. These interactions led to his arrest on January 22, 2024.
Court documents reveal that between November 6, 2023, and January 18, 2024, Okpeaha requested explicit content from the undercover detective and sent inappropriate images himself. He was apprehended after planning a meeting for a sexual encounter.
Following his initial arrest, Okpeaha fled from pre-trial supervision but was re-arrested in Coldfoot, Alaska. On September 4, 2024, he pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child.
“Crimes against children are among the most heinous offenses," stated U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. "Our office will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners."
Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office emphasized the seriousness of Okpeaha's crimes and reaffirmed their commitment to bringing online predators to justice.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Anchorage Field Office and Anchorage Police Department under the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative launched in May 2006 aimed at combating child sexual exploitation and abuse through collaboration across federal, state, and local resources.
