Former Chilkat Lake resident sentenced for child porn, more charges pending

By Madeline Perreard Chilkat Valley News

Former Chilkat Lake resident Christopher Panagiotou-Scigliano was sentenced to 20 years in prison last week after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography. He is also facing charges for the sexual abuse of several children in Bonner County, Idaho. That case is still pending.

“In this unconscionable case, the defendant engaged in a years-long manipulation and grooming process to isolate and sexually abuse minors, all under the guise of being a trusted family friend,” Special Agent Antony Jung of the FBI Anchorage Field Office told Alaska’s News Source. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to identify, aggressively pursue, and hold accountable those who commit these vile crimes against children.”

Panagiotou-Scigliano, who has also gone by the names Christopher Sturni and Christopher Cherry, moved to Chilkat Lake with his wife in 2015. At the time, several children he was accused of grooming in Idaho traveled to his residence in Haines.

“When the children arrived Panagiotou-Scigliano allegedly continued grooming and sexually exploiting them by taking numerous sexually explicit images and videos of the victims,” according to an FBI statement.

“Law enforcement also recovered additional images and videos of child sexual exploitation that appear to have been downloaded from the internet.”

Haines Police assisted Idaho authorities in apprehending Panagiotou-Scigliano in September 2020 on an arrest warrant which allowed them to search his cabin and computer. Panagiotou-Scigliano waived extradition and was transferred in custody to Idaho where he paid bail and

Police & Fire Blotter

Submitted by Skagway Police Department

Feb. 6

-Police assisted a citizen with a vehicle lockout.

Feb. 7

-Fire personnel responded to a call reporting a resident carbon monoxide alarm.

Feb. 12

-Police responded to a report of gunshots in a residential area. The suspect was identified and the weapon was confiscated.

Feb. 13

-Dispatch assisted with contacting the on duty provider.

Feb. 14 was released. He was indicted by an Alaska grand jury in July 2021, and arrested in Idaho later that month.

-Thomas Jeffery Moraniec, 33, of Skagway was cited and summoned for two counts of Misconduct Involving Weapons IV, Reckless Endangerment and Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.

Authorities were tipped off by an alleged teenage victim that moved to Haines. He reported the abuse in an effort to stop Panagiotou-Scigliano from abusing other boys, according to the Bonner County Daily Bee.

The case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force with support from the Haines Police Department, Bonner County, Idaho, Sheriff’s Office, the Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office, and Alaska State Troopers.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Ivers and James Klugman prosecuted the case.

Feb. 16

-Police responded to a report of suspicious trash scattered around.

Feb. 17

-Max Turner Jewell, 37, of Skagway was arrested on a Warrant for Failure to Appear.

-Fire personnel responded to a report of a suspicious burning smell –after investigating it was found to be an issue with an outlet.

Feb. 18

-Dispatch and police personnel assisted Haines Police Department with a death investigation.

Feb. 19

-Dispatch assisted with contacting the on duty provider.