(AP) — A sex offender released from a Nebraska prison earlier this year has made a plea deal and been convicted of two counts of sexual assault of a child.

The York News-Times says 48-year-old Ross Shepherd, of rural Hampton, changed his original pleas of not guilty. York County Attorney Candace Dick said in court Monday that she had agreed to drop two counts in return for Shepherd’s two pleas of no contest. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 16.

Records say Shepherd was convicted in 1997 and 2010 of sexually assaulting children. For the 2010 conviction, he was sentenced to five years. He was released from custody in March.

Because of those convictions, the assault charge was enhanced to a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 50 years per count.