Stranger offers teen ride and sexually assaults her at storage unit, AK cops say
A Fairbanks man is accused of sexually assaulting two teen girls, and authorities said more victims may be out there.
Gareth Ward, 44, is facing charges of sexual assault and misconduct involving a controlled substance, Alaska state troopers said in a July 10 dispatch.
McClatchy News couldn’t immediately reach an attorney for Ward on July 11.
Police in Fairbanks started investigating when a teen girl reported a sexual assault.
She said a stranger offered to give her a ride, “but instead of taking her to where she requested, the man drove her to a storage unit where he sexually assaulted her,” troopers said.
Not long after, troopers were asked in a separate case to check on the welfare of a teen, and they “made contact with a male subject exiting a vehicle” in North Pole, according to troopers.
The man was identified as Ward, troopers said, and the girl they were checking on was in the vehicle.
“Investigation revealed that Ward met the female on social media the day prior and offered her a job. He picked her up and transported her to the location and sexually assaulted her after forcing her to smoke methamphetamine,” according to troopers.
Troopers arrested Ward, and the teen in the Fairbanks case identified him from a photo lineup, per the dispatch.
Investigators also “confirmed evidence placing Ward at the storage unit where the assault occurred,” according to troopers.
North Pole is about a 15-mile drive southeast from Fairbanks.
This story was originally published July 11, 2025 at 12:23 PM with the headline "Stranger offers teen ride and sexually assaults her at storage unit, AK cops say."
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