A 19-year-old Nunapichuk man has been charged with seven counts of kidnapping, burglary, rape and attempted sexual assault. His was arraigned Thursday afternoon at the Bethel courthouse.
Nicholas Brink repeatedly denied his involvement throughout the hearing.
Alaska State Troopers arrested Brink on Tuesday. Brink was reportedly riding his snowmachine around the villages of Kasigluk and Nunapitchuk, asking women for directions. When a woman agreed to help him and got on his snowmachine, Brink allegedly took the victim to the tundra and attempt to sexually assault her, according to Alaska State Trooper Nicholas Hayes, with the Violent Offenders Unit.
“There was a lot of people that I spoke to, but everybody I spoke to said that they thought that he was lying and using some kind of ruse to get them on the snowmachine,” Hayes said.
Hayes traveled the villages earlier this month to investigate. While there, two women from the villages reported they were victims.
“Just as of yesterday, another survivor came forward and said she was assaulted by Nicholas,” Hays said. “As of right now, we have five people that have come forward detailing some kind of misconduct that was involved with Nicholas.”
Hayes says the assaults reportedly happened as far as back as this past summer.
Authorities believe there may be more victims out there and encourage any survivors to contact authorities.
