A Petersburg man has pleaded not guilty for allegedly sharing child sexual abuse material.
Alejandro “Alex” Melendez Aguilar, 45, was indicted last month on 10 felony charges for possession and distribution of child pornography. He was arraigned remotely from jail in Juneau through the Petersburg Courthouse on Jan. 6.
Last year, law enforcement officers said they received a tip from Kik, a social networking app, reporting Aguilar’s account shared explicit sexual content of children. Alaska State Troopers investigated. When interviewing Aguilar in November, they said he admitted sharing adult content on the app but denied intentionally seeking and sharing child sexual abuse material.
Troopers arrested Aguilar in December. He was indicted by a grand jury the day after Christmas.
Aguilar was in custody at Lemon Creek Correctional Facility in Juneau under a bail amount of at least $27,500. An initial bail reduction request was denied at a pretrial hearing on Jan. 8. But that changed at a subsequent hearing in early April.
Aguilar was released from the correctional facility on April 21, 2025 after posting $10,000 and promising to pay $25,000 if he violates his release agreement with the court. He remains monitored under 24/7 house arrest in Petersburg without access to the internet or contact with minors, per that agreement.
Aguilar’s trial is scheduled for Aug. 25, 2025.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on April 23, 2025 to reflect changes in custody status and date of trial. The original language stated Aguilar was then in custody at Lemon Creek Correctional Facility in Juneau under a bail amount of at least $27,500 and a bail reduction request was denied at a pretrial hearing on Jan. 8 and a trial date had not been scheduled at the original time of publishing (Jan. 14).
