November 21, 2022

(Kodiak, AK) – Alaska Superior Court Judge Stephen Wallace sentenced 60-year-old Evan P. Nicolai to five years in prison for sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree. Nicolai will be on probation for 16 years and will be required to register as a sex offender for an additional 15 years after probation ends.

Nicolai was a monk with the Russian Orthodox Church, living in church housing when the crimes occurred. In Oct. 2021, Nicolai turned himself in to police, accompanied by a Russian Orthodox priest and the victim’s father. Nicolai admitted that the child was alone in Nicolai’s apartment on multiple occasions over months, where Nicolai touched the boy’s penis and had the child touch Nicolai’s. The defendant admitted he knew it was a crime.

Today, Judge Wallace sentenced Nicolai to 15 years with 10 years suspended and five years to serve. The defense argued for the minimum 10 years of probation, however the court imposed 16 years of probation. Nicolai would then be in his 90s, and the sex offender registration would provide the community the appropriate notice about who he is and what he has done, the Judge said.

CONTACT: Kodiak District Attorney Gustaf Olson at Gustaf.Olson@alaska.gov or (907) 486-5744.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at (907) 269- 6368 desk, cell (907) 310-7490 or patty.sullivan@alaska.gov.