Women's childhood rapist jailed after 22 years

They grew up in an isolated village accessible only by boat or plane, but a painful secret two women from Angoon carried with them into adulthood has brought justice, decades later, back to the small island community and their childhood home.

Earlier this month, George Jim Jr., 50, was sentenced to eight and a half years for sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl. The abuse started in 1988 and continued until the girl was 9, according to court records, and was a repeat of abuse the girl's older sister had suffered through years earlier. The failure of the justice system to stop Jim sooner puzzles the investigator who opened the case in 2008 after the girls' mother came forward.

When Alaska State Trooper Chris Umbs learned Jim had been investigated in 1983 for hurting the older girl, but was never held accountable despite what appeared to be strong evidence -- including an admission of guilt by Jim -- he was floored.

"You're kind of surprised because you think, ‘Holy smokes, we got a confession,'" he said.

Umbs doesn't know why the old case never went to court. When the girls' mother came forward in spring 2008, Umbs said it opened the oldest cold case of childhood sexual abuse he's seen in his 12 years as a trooper in Alaska. The woman's younger daughter was in her late 20s, and had only recently confided to her mother about the years of rape she endured -- rapes that took place with the mother nearby but unaware, Umbs said. The mother, who spoke with Alaska Dispatch on condition of anonymity, confirmed that Jim would get her drunk, then, as she slept, "mess around" with the kids. Other abuse happened, she said, while she was away at work.

Last year, Jim was arrested on 15 counts of first degree sexual assault, but only for the youngest girl. A technicality in the law prohibited the older daughter's case from having legal standing, but allowed justice to be set in motion for his crimes against the younger daughter.

Sexual abuse crimes that took place before Sept. 14, 1982 are too old to do anything about. Crimes that occurred between then and 1987 can be prosecuted if the victim was under 16 and if prosecution begins within one year of the abuse being reported. Because the older daughter's abuse, which took place around 1982, was investigated but didn't lead to prosecution within that yearlong window, the statute of limitations has tolled for those crimes. (Under current law, there is no statute of limitation on first degree sexual abuse of minor.) But when the younger daughter came forward as an adult in 2008, it triggered a one-year opening for troopers to make their case against Jim. And although charges couldn't be brought for the crimes against the older daughter, they wouldn't be forgotten, as they would be used in court to show a pattern of behavior.

Still, once he's done his time, Jim won't be branded a sex offender, at least not on the state's mandatory registry. According to the sentencing judge, Jim isn't required to register because his crimes were committed before the registry existed. It was passed into law in 1994.

The charges against Jim read like a holiday calendar. Most of the 15 sexual abuse counts fall on special occasions: the victim's birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, Valentine's Day. According to Umbs, it's not an uncommon occurrence. To bring charges, crimes need to be identified with a specific date. Memorable occasions are one way investigators try to help victims pull details of their abuse out of the fog of time. It's easier to remember family celebrations and special events than it is specific dates for otherwise not-so-noteworthy days in one's life. It's difficult enough pulling memories from children, let alone trying to do it years later when the victims are adults, Umbs said.

There is one date -- April 14, 2008 -- that stands out vividly for the victims' mother. That's when her younger daughter, as an adult, revealed to her that Jim had abused her for years, and the mother knew the family had to do something about it. She reported the crimes, pushing for prosecution even after one officer incorrectly suggested the crimes were too old.