The owner of two downtown bars charged with sexually assaulting four women inside one of them last weekend announced Tuesday he will resign as president of the Anchorage Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retailer's Association, according to the association.
John Pattee, 47, is charged with four counts of second-degree sexual assault in connection with an incident at one of his bars, The Avenue, early Sunday.
Pattee, who also owns The Gaslight Lounge, was released on bail from the Anchorage jail Tuesday, according to the state Department of Corrections. As part of his conditions of release, Pattee was banned from entering The Avenue and placed into the third-party custody of his wife and the manager of The Gaslight.
Bob Winn, vice president of Anchorage CHARR, said Pattee, who was re-elected president last month, called to say he will send in a letter of resignation, which officials are anticipate receiving in coming days. The association will not move forward with its replacement plan, established in its bylaws, until then, he said.
Police say they were called to The Avenue at 3:39 a.m. and arrived to find four women, including one employee, claiming Pattee had been groping their breasts and crotches after he'd been drinking at the bar.
Under Anchorage law, patrons cannot be inside a bar after 3 a.m. on a weekend, and the Alaska Alcoholic Beverage Control Board is investigating whether liquor laws were violated.
"It happened well after closing," police spokesman Lt. Dave Parker said.
But Tony Lopez, general manager of The Avenue, said all the patrons had been ushered out after last call at 2:40 a.m., so no one but Pattee and his employees were left at the cutoff.
"All of the stuff that happened occurred during business hours," Lopez said, adding that Pattee and the women were in a corner of the bar earlier in the night and that he hadn't seen what was happening. "There's a TV there and the bar is kind of high, so it is a blind spot."
Police arrived about 3:40 a.m. to take statements, Lopez said. He said he didn't know why the delay in reporting or where the victims went, but they came back after police called them for statements.
A woman who answered the phone at Pattee's home Tuesday evening said he had no comment, but his attorney has said Pattee maintains his innocence. His next court appearance is set for next month.
Pattee has been a staunch supporter of a proposed "safety hour" for downtown bars to allow patrons to finish a drink while they wait inside for rides. Winn said Anchorage CHARR still supports the proposal.
Find James Halpin online at adn.com/contact/jhalpin or call 257-4589.
By JAMES HALPIN
jhalpin@adn.com