An Anchorage man who regularly traveled throughout Alaska giving motivational school speeches, and oftentimes coming into contact with students across the state, has been sentenced to prison for sexually abusing a minor child.

On Dec. 17, Superior Court Judge Peter Ramgren sentenced Donteh Devoe, now 42, to serve 25 years in custody for one count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Second Degree. After serving his period of incarceration, he will be on felony probation for 10 years.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska, Devoe was initially charged with two counts of production of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. He was arrested in February 2020.

Last month, Devoe pled guilty to one consolidated count of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the Second Degree, with an agreed-upon sentence pursuant to a plea agreement with the State.

Initially, he faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years up to life in federal prison, for the most serious charges alleged against him.

According to court documents, Devoe became the subject of an investigation on Jan. 29, 2020, when Anchorage Police Department (APD) received a tip concerning allegations that Devoe had engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with a minor. The complaint alleges that, between Sept. 30, 2019, and Oct. 1, 2019, Devoe used text messages to request sexually explicit images of the minor. It is further alleged that the minor would receive sexually explicit images of Devoe while she was in school, and that there were at least two incidents where Devoe and the minor had sexual contact. A search of Devoe’s cell phone and iCloud account revealed the graphic communications, as well as several sexually explicit images of the minor.

During the course of this conduct, Devoe was a motivational speaker, recounting his personal struggle to overcome a past of drug crime and incarceration. He made speeches at both schools and educator conferences.

At Devoe’s Dec. 17 sentencing, the victim and her mother gave impact statements that documented how his manipulation and abuse greatly impacted their lives and destroyed their family. Judge Ramgren noted that the court has a great appreciation for the impact that sexual abuse offenses have on victims and how the impact ripples into their family and the community. He recognized that the victim and her mother articulated in a meaningful way what a profound impact these crimes had on their lives. Devoe apologized and stated that he was “1000% wrong in [his] behavior.”

Federal child pornography charges are pending sentencing against Devoe. He will remain in the custody of the Department of Corrections until he is sentenced in that case.

The Anchorage Police Department (APD), as well as FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, conducted the investigation leading to the initial charges against Devoe. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Ivers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska prosecuted this case.

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.

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