A Soldotna man associated with Peninsula Martial Arts has been charged with more than a dozen child pornography crimes, according to the state Office of Special Prosecutions.
A Thursday evening press release said that Michael Dean Hancock, 57, was indicted by an Anchorage grand jury and charged with 14 counts of possession and distribution of child porn. Online court records do not list the criminal case.
As of 8 p.m. Thursday, prosecutors said Hancock was still at large and a warrant had been issued for his arrest.
The release asked anyone with information about his whereabouts to call Alaska Bureau of Investigation investigator Vance Peronto in Soldotna at 907-262-4423.
A representative of Peninsula Martial Arts could not immediately be reached for comment. The business, on Kalifornsky Beach Road on the central Kenai Peninsula, offers karate classes for adults and children, according to its website.
Assistant Attorney General Adam Alexander said that due to an ongoing investigation, he couldn't say whether authorities suspect Hancock had illegal contact with students at the school.
If convicted, Hancock would face a jail term of two to 99 years on each count.