A 35-year-old North Platte man, who is a convicted sex offender, has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman.
In the early morning hours of April 24, an officer with the North Platte Police Department took a report of a sexual assault alleged to have occurred at a residence in the 2400 block of East 2nd Street.
The woman stated that she had been staying at the residence of an acquaintance, John Runkle, on the evening of April 23.
She told the officer that she and Runkle had been watching a movie when she fell asleep. She said she woke up in the early morning hours of April 24 to find Runkle having sexual intercourse with her. She stated that she did not consent to the sex.
After the alleged assault occurred, the victim reportedly left the residence and contacted police.
According to Investigator John Deal, officers responded to Runkle’s residence and made contact with him. Following further investigation, it was determined that there was probable cause to arrest Runkle for first-degree sexual assault.
Additionally, Deal says Runkle is a convicted sex offender who is required to register with the Sex Offender Registry. He said the residence where Runkle was living was not the residence that was listed on the Registry. As a result, he was also charged with a violation of the Sex Offender Registry Act.
Deal says officers located a small amount of marijuana inside the residence. Runkle was also charged with possession of marijuana.
He was jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.
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