S. Lane Tucker, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office District of Alaska
An Anchorage man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for failing to register as a sex offender in Alaska. Norman Otto, 61, will also serve ten years of supervised release following his prison term. Otto's failure to comply with registration requirements came to light after he moved to Alaska in 2021 and lived without registering as mandated by law.
Otto's criminal history includes a 1995 conviction in Nebraska for sexually abusing a 13-year-old, for which he served three years in prison. In 2008, he was again released after serving between 15 to 20 years for abusing another minor. Nebraska law enforcement renewed investigations into Otto in 2020 after allegations arose of further abuse of a minor post his 2008 release. In April 2021, Otto left Nebraska, evading authorities who later discovered him residing in Alaska, where he was apprehended in January 2024.
Court documents revealed that Otto misled individuals about his past, including the hostel owner where he lived, and spent time around teenagers under the pretense of tutoring mathematics. Otto pleaded guilty to the charge of failing to register in May 2024.
During sentencing, the Court stressed the importance of community awareness regarding such individuals and emphasized that the sentence aims to deter other offenders from flouting registration laws. Upon release from custody, Otto must adhere to supervised release conditions prohibiting unsupervised interactions with minors.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman stated, “Mr. Otto is a recidivist sex offender who preyed on innocent victims for many, many years by using deceit and grooming behavior to get close to children.” Heyman thanked law enforcement and prosecutors for their role in securing the conviction, affirming that those seeking to evade justice in Alaska will be pursued vigorously.
Reflecting on enforcement efforts, U.S. Marshal Rob Heun said, “The U.S. Marshals Service will continue to enforce the requirements of the Sex Offender Registry as one of our primary tools to help ensure the safety of our community from sex offenders in Alaska."
The investigation involved cooperation between the U.S. Marshals Service, the Anchorage Police Department, and the Department of Public Safety-Sex Offender Registry. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at addressing child sexual exploitation and abuse through coordinated resources to target offenders and support victims.
