Anchorage Daily News

A youth leader at a Kenai church who was under investigation for possessing child pornography was arrested Friday on a charge that he sexually molested a young boy, according to Anchorage police.

Authorities arrested Richard J. Wagner, 46, on a charge of second-degree sexual assault of a minor. An investigation into a report that Wagner had graphic child porn movies on his computer turned up evidence that he had assaulted the boy, Detective Sgt. Ron Tidler of the Anchorage Police Department said.

Investigators found out about Wagner's porn collection in January, when a Pennsylvania state trooper saw clips on a peer-to-peer file sharing Web site, Tidler said.

A subsequent investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force turned up enough evidence for investigators to get a federal warrant to search Wagner's Kenai home, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Kenai and Anchorage police, troopers and FBI agents executed the warrant Thursday, Tidler said.

"Right away, we found the child porn on the computer at his house," he said. "He's the youth leader at a local church and has been allowed to have two boys stay at his house overnight, unsupervised."

Once that detail emerged, investigators began talking to the children who were involved, Tidler said. Officers from the Kenai Police Department interviewed them, and one of the children accused Wagner of sexually abusing him, Tidler said.

"I don't think it's a one-time event," he said.

Wagner has worked as a volunteer at the nondenominational Kenai Bible Church for about two or three years, teaching Sunday school to the children, said Vance Wonser, the church's pastor. Church officials learned of the allegations Thursday night, he said.

"As soon as we were made aware of the allegations, we immediately removed him from contact with the youth," Wonser said. "The one allegation that was made was not anything that occurred at the church ... it was on his own time and away from the church."

Investigators have interviewed other children, but none so far has accused Wagner of similar assaults, Tidler said. Police are continuing their investigation into whether there could be more victims, he said.

Wagner was being held until a hearing scheduled for today to review the possibility of bail.

Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin.

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