The following story contains sensitive content about the sexual abuse of a child that may not be suitable for all readers. Reader discretion is advised.
A Kenai man has been charged with sexually abusing a minor after a prolonged investigation into allegations of abuse by the victim that the abuses happened when she was a child attending a daycare where he worked.
33-year-old Jeremiah John Barton of Kenai was arrested on Mar. 19 and remanded to Wildwood Pretrial Facility. The arrest was made after the Kenai Police Department completed a detailed investigation that began in Nov. 2022, when a report was filed with the Office of Children’s Services.
In a sworn affidavit by Kenai Police Sergeant Ryan Coleman, the victim stated she had been babysat at a licensed daycare run by Julie Kim Garretson, Barton’s mother, in Kenai when she was between 5 and 7 years old. According to the victim–who was only identified by her initials–Barton would watch her alone when Garretson was out running errands and would abuse her during those times.
The victim was under Barton’s care at times from 2007 to 2013, when she was approximately 1 to 6 years old, and Barton was between 16 and 23 years old. The victim’s mother confirmed this.
During a monitored call in December 2024, which was authorized by a search warrant, Barton admitted to applying lotion on the child’s body and said that it was to treat severe eczema. He described the rash as being worst on her lower body. However, further investigation, including interviews with caregivers and a review of childhood photographs, showed no signs of any skin condition.
Then, on Mar. 16, 2025, Barton was interviewed by police. During that interview, he said that the child had eczema and admitted to putting cocoa butter on the child’s private areas, both above and below the waist, twice a day, two times a week, for five years. He admitted to investigators that the lotion was not for medical use and that he had used it to “practice his craft” of massage and learn about the human body. He also told investigators that he thought it might help the child’s skin.
In a separate interview, Julie Garretson stated to police that she operated a daycare from her home and that Barton would strip the child down and apply lotion, although she was the only person authorized to administer medications under her daycare license.
During the course of the investigation, the victim’s mother informed investigators that she never gave Barton permission to put lotion on her daughter. Witnesses who also cared for the victim during those years reported never seeing any skin condition.
Photographs of the child when she was 2 to 12 years old also support these accounts made by the witnesses.
Ultimately, in his last interview with police before his arrest, Barton said that what had happened was a mistake and that some mistakes “come haunting you and drag you to court.” At the time of that interview, he was not arrested.
Three days later, on Mar. 19, police determined that Barton’s admissions, the victim’s statements, and corroborating evidence supported criminal charges.
He was arrested and transported to Wildwood Pretrial Facility, where he was charged with seven counts of Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Minor.