A Kenai man is sentenced to 60 years for sexually assaulting a child in his home

A Kenai man who sexually assaulted a child living in his home — an assault that resulted in her pregnancy and the birth of a child — will spend 60 years in prison. Darold Greg Love, 67, was sentenced Aug. 14, well above the standard range for the crime, and is ineligible for parole, the Alaska Department of Law said.

A jury convicted Love in March of first-degree sexual assault and sexual abuse of a minor. The child had been living with Love and his wife. It was not his first such conviction: Love was found guilty in 2001 of sexually abusing other children in his care.

At sentencing, the victim spoke about how the assault continues to affect her relationships and her ability to trust and feel safe with people she loves, and two of Love's own children described the abuse's effects across generations of their family. The judge, Superior Court Judge Jason Gist, found several aggravating factors, including that Love had taken advantage of an extremely vulnerable teenager who had faced significant instability and, in the judge's words, "had nowhere else to go."

The case was investigated by the Kenai Police Department, with help from law enforcement in Tennessee, and prosecuted by the state. An advocate with the Kenaitze Tribe's domestic violence and sexual assault program supported the victim through the trial and sentencing.

The Department of Law's account includes no statement from Love or his defense.