On Oct. 30, a Kenai grand jury indicted 45-year-old Aaron “Scott” Merritt on multiple counts, charging him with sexually abusing four girls between the ages of 5 and 14 who were congregants of Kenai’s Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
According to the Alaska Dept. of Law, the sexual abuse took place over a four-year period between 1998 and 2002 when Merritt served as a “Ministerial Servant” in the church.
Merritt was charged with six counts of sexual assault in the first degree, one count of sexual assault in the second degree, four counts of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree, eight counts of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree, and one count of sexual abuse of a minor in the third degree.
Initially there was one instance of abuse reported to the Kenai Police Department in 2002, however, investigators were unable to compile sufficient evidence to support prosecution at that time.
Since then, new information and evidence, including additional victim reports, led to the case being reopened and investigated by the Kenai Police Department in 2021.
The Department of Law’s Office of Special Prosecutions presented the case to the grand jury.
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“This arrest is the result of persistence and determination by our investigators,” said David Ross of the Kenai Police Department. “Even after two decades, we remain committed to pursuing justice and holding individuals accountable for their actions – no matter how much time has passed.”
The Kenai Police Department expressed sincere gratitude to the victims for their patience, strength, and willingness to come forward even decades later.
“Their courage in sharing their stories was instrumental in this case,” the department noted.
If convicted at trial, Merrit faces a maximum sentence of up to 99 years of imprisonment. He was arrested on Oct. 30 and will be arraigned on Monday, Nov. 3.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. The Kenai Police Department encourages anyone who may have additional information or who believes they may have been a victim to contact KPD at (907) 283-7879.
19 Comments
Thank you for your honest reporting. Keep up the great work!
I wish this article would’ve made clear that he was completely removed from the congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses after an internal investigation had been done, and he NEVER was allowed to return! Just prior to the prior to the victim coming forward in 2002.
Does that really matter though? The facts are still the same. I’d be more concerned about the children this man assaulted instead of being worried about how the article affects the reputation of your church.
yeah. you are looking the wrong way with your bi aculars.
So in your world, a person isn’t “concerned about the children” if he/she is ALSO concerned about a more truthful media trumpeting only part of the whole story? Get a good grasp on your pearls because, in the reality outside your world, many people can be concerned about multiple threats and take action against them simultaneously. Reporting on the actions taken by that church when the crime was committed instead of merely leaving that part out and leaving the question, “What did the church do about this?” 23 years later is irresponsible reporting…It matters!!
The elders never did right by reporting the abuse to the proper authorities. Instead they asked humiliating and inappropriate questions to victims and then discredited them because of the “two witness” rule. The fact that those elders aren’t facing legal repercussions for hiding his crimes is insane.
I was the one who came forward…and I also am the one who went to the police in 2002…the 2 witness rule is biblical, and it’s also the same standard that the judicial system uses…that’s why they didn’t do anything when I came forward 22 years ago. It’s word vs word with no proof! People unfortunately make false accusations all the time and I’m grateful that they investigated thorough Enough that the congregation disciplined him when the law didn’t…
The “Two Witness Rule” is a pretext. Reporting to the police a crime has nothing to do with the biblical rule AND THEY KNOW IT. Not reporting to the police for the same reason as the Catholic Church scandal and others – to keep it out of the media spotlight and interfere with their religion’s proselytizing efforts.
Look up JW CSA on the internet. It appears that legal repercussions are happening now.
THAT is the point. those girls trusted the elders to protect them but instead they further traumatized them. I’m curious what questions they are trained to use for the rapist/molester.
I grew up in this congregation and this treatment is ongoing and prevalent. The men in the lead cover and hide the things the younger men do in the hall. They blame victims especially the women and ask extremely personal and inappropriate questions to the MINOR victims. For their own investigations, not with the police. They make up their own minds if the victims deserve justice. Which is absolutely vile. This “man” got to live a full life with a marriage and his own children. While his victims grew up in fear and ashamed. I hope his victims finally get peace and justice but I wish nothing good for this person or the men that stood by him and covered up his disgusting behavior. At any time they could’ve gone to the police, they CHOSE not to. I hope this is the first of many men and women to be penalized who cover these disturbing animals and outcast the victims. I’m grateful they finally get justice I only wish they got it sooner. Before any active member of Jehovahs Witnesses think Im being distasteful, if your organization was the “Truth” would the men leading you have done this? These are the same men giving talks and giving shepherding calls to encourage you. While shunning victims and allowing sexual abuse/domestic abuse to be tolerated. This isn’t an act of god, it’s an act of men, the men you listen to on stage teach you how Jehovah wants you to live your life. This isn’t a question of religion or faith it’s a question of morality.
most patriarchal religions are sexually entitled and the JWs are very guilty of lifetime damage to female victims.
it should be noted that until this fall..JWs discouraged higher education. not one of these JW men have any higher education to be qualified to deal with female victims. they do far more damage than good.
I honestly think the truth matters. I also think that in the wake of how often these tragedies occur in today’s society and are completely covered or continued by religious organizations, it’s good to know that some congregations not just of Jehovah’s Witnesses but other cases too, really do try to do the right thing.
It’s easy to always be negative with what we see in the world and what we experience, but sometimes it’s nice to see bits of sunshine in the news. Like hearing that the right outcome was had in a situation like this.
His actions were wicked! Trust me I know first hand! And if I wasn’t worried about the victims I wouldn’t have come forward 22 years ago, and then ripped open the wound again in 2021 when I was informed the police lost the recording of my original report, so I had to relive it ALL, and again in 2025.
The investigators and prosecutors have worked tirelessly for this outcome of justice but it’s nice to know that SOME justice was had when I came forward 22 years ago and he was expelled.
Those are my feelings on the matter and I respect that others feel differently! I just want any and all survivors of this man, whether the abuse happened 25 years ago or 2 weeks ago, that they are not alone in this and there are people out here ready to help your voice be heard.
Thank you for your courage in reporting this! This .been a problem since his early childhood. He lived
across the street from me and I knew his parents as teenagers.
K, thank you for your bravery and courage in doing the right thing. The “two witness rule” this religion holds on to is ridiculous though, who would ever perpetrate sexual abuse in front of a witness? To discount an allegation or to not act based on this rule is unchristian and flawed. K, you did the right thing so many years ago when you WENT TO THE POLICE. Regardless of what a religion does, any situation involving sexual abuse or assault should be immediately reported to the police. Some people get being religious mixed up with being a Christian. You are obviously a good Christian, may god bless you with peace and happiness K.
thank you for your bravery
could you tell us the questions they asked you? were you punished..probation or what ever.
Im sorry you had to go through all that. thank you for standing up.
K. Hamilton, Iam sorry to hear you had to relive your trauma recently and that you suffered abuse from a “brother” that you and your family undoubtedly trusted. But the “wordly” judicial system does not use a 2 witness rule. All accusations of abuse are investigated by police, even if only 1 accuser comes forward. The 2 witness rule is only a Jehovah’s Witness policy and allows abusers and pedo’s to get away with vile acts. It’s simple, the Watchtower needs to change their rules, any case of abuse that is reported to an elder should immediately be reported to police, to allow police to investigate. Period.
I think that any actions taken, and how a CSA is handled is often down to the individual Elders of each congregation. Regardless of the deeply flawed advice from the Governing Body on how to handle such matters, when you have fathers and wise men as Elders, they will use their own judgment through discussion. Unfortunately my experience with Elders has been they have acted cruelly and without feeling, many decades ago now. I am 72 years old and have left JW’s for other reasons during the Covid debacle, and how they handled it. My reasons are very many, I have experienced the odd kind Elder, (and his wife) whose treatment of me at a traumatic time in my life was very supportive. My late husband was an Elder and he was an honest and conscientious man.