Petersburg Resident Kelsey McCay Sentenced for Sexual Assault

March 3, 2025

(Petersburg, AK) - On Feb. 25, Ketchikan Superior Court Judge Katherine Lybrand sentenced 31-year-old Kelsey McCay to 10 years of incarceration.

The conviction stems from the sexual assault of a 21-year-old Petersburg resident in September 2019. Judge Lybrand sentenced Kelsey McCay to a composite sentence of 15 years of incarceration, with 5 years suspended, followed by 10 years of felony probation. While on probation, the defendant will be subject to numerous probation conditions, including sex offender treatment. He will also be required to register as a sex offender for 15 years after he has completed his probation.

At sentencing, Assistant District Attorney Jessalyn Gillum asked the court to consider the significant impact the sexual assault had on the victim and noted that the defendant was on probation for a felony offense at the time he committed the assault. ADA Gillum asked the court to impose a lengthy sentence that would protect the victim and the Petersburg community at large. The victim, now 27, gave a powerful impact statement reiterating the devastating effect this assault had on her and how it continues to affect her to this day.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Lybrand found that Mr. McCay had guarded prospects for rehabilitation. She noted the impact that this crime had on the victim was severe. Judge Lybrand found that an aggravating factor applied to Kelsey McCay, specifically that at the time of the offense the defendant was on probation for another felony conviction. She also noted that the defendant's efforts to address his substance abuse in the years since the crime occurred as a promising sign of his ability to be rehabilitated. Due to his prior felony conviction Mr. McCay faced a presumptive sentencing range of 8-15 years.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jessalyn Gillum with assistance from Paralegal Marley Hettinger. The Petersburg Police Department investigated the case.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.