A 24-year-old North Platte man will spend the next five to ten years behind bars for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl.
Erick McClain appeared in Lincoln County District Court on Monday for sentencing.
Last September, the North Platte Police Department opened a sexual assault investigation, after receiving a complaint from the mother of a female juvenile.
The mother alleged that her daughter and McClain, who was 23-years-old at the time, were involved in a consensual sexual relationship.
In January 2015, the girl was interviewed at the Bridge of Hope, regarding her relationship with McClain.
According to Officer Rodney Brown, the girl reported that she and McClain had sexual intercourse on multiple occasions at different locations. The girl said she and McClain had met while she was in 8th grade.
An investigator met with McClain on January 21 and, following further investigation, determined that there was probable cause to charge McClain with felony 1st-degree sexual assault of a child.
Prior to sentencing, McClain’s attorney, Amanda Speichert, argued that McClain understood the seriousness of the charges against him and had shown remorse for his actions.
She also pointed out that a pre-sentence investigation (PSI) conducted by the District 11 Probation Office showed that McClain was a low-risk to reoffend and had no criminal record, except for a speeding ticket.
McClain then addressed the court and apologized to the court, the community, and the victim in the case.
District Court Judge Richard Birch, prior to sentencing, told McClain that he had reviewed the PSI and noted that it did indeed show that McClain was a low-risk to reoffend but stated that anything other than a sentence to the Nebraska State Penitentiary would depreciate the severity of the charges against him.
He then sentenced McClain to not less than five years nor more than ten years in the custody of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services.
He must also register as a sex offender.
Nebraska law prohibits anyone over the age of 19 from having sexual intercourse with anyone younger than 16.