ANCHORAGE – An 18-year-old Anchorage man faces charges of kidnapping and assault after allegedly attacking another teen on New Year’s Day, police said.
According to a statement from the Anchorage Police Department, Jessye Potts was arrested in connection with the Jan. 1 assault in Anchorage’s Ocean View neighborhood. The call came in around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, after the 17-year-old victim was able to escape and seek help at a residence nearby.
Police said she had met up with Potts to go for a walk Wednesday. During the walk, Potts allegedly took her phone, restrained her and sexually assaulted her. After walking away from the scene, police said Potts returned, began to remove the victim’s restraints and then fled.
“With the victim seeking help quickly, detectives were able to investigate the case in a timely manner and make an arrest,” said Sgt. Ken McCoy in a written statement. “We would like to encourage all victims of sexual assault to report as soon as possible, because in these cases time is of the essence to gather the evidence necessary for a successful prosecution.”
Potts was arrested on one count of kidnapping, four counts of first-degree sexual assault, one count of second-degree assault and one count of fourth-degree assault. Police said Potts’ bail was set at $1 million with a requirement for a third-party custodian.