SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — A western Nebraska man and woman have been charged with felony forgery, accused of counterfeiting and passing $100 bills.

Authorities say 25-year-old Tony Christensen, of Dalton, was arrested Thursday and arraigned Friday. His suspected accomplice, 20-year-old Briana Sifuentez of Sidney, has also been charged in Scotts Bluff County, and her trial is pending.

Police say the charges stem from a 2015 incident, in which a counterfeit $100 bill was passed at a store in Monument Mall in Scottsbluff. Police say store video implicated a man and woman.

Then this month, Scottsbluff police learned that Sifuentez and Christensen were accused of passing counterfeit $100 bills in nearby Sidney. Police say a search of Sifuentez’s home turned up dozens of counterfeit bills and two in Christensen’s wallet.

United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that Charles Eberhardt, 56, of Imperial, Nebraska, was sentenced on January 29, in Lincoln, Nebraska, to four years, nine months in prison by United States District Judge John M. Gerrard, for possession of child pornography.  After his release from prison, Eberhardt will be required to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and be registered as a sex offender.

In September of 2014, Xoom.com, an online international money transfer service, notified Yahoo! that a number of Yahoo! accounts were engaged in the sale of child exploitation material.  The investigation determined that several email accounts, operating overseas, were believed to be selling images, video and live-streamed sexual abuse.  Eberhardt was found to be one of the persons expressing an interest in young children and appeared to be purchasing images, video, or live streams of child exploitation material from the seller account(s).  Evidence showed that at least one wire transfer was sent by Eberhardt to the Philippines. There are also chat logs showing communication with another person in Nebraska about having sex with minors.

On June 2^, 2015, a search warrant was issued on Eberhardt’s residence and he admitted to accessing child pornography websites using the Internet.  The forensic investigation of the equipment listed in the Forfeiture Allegation revealed approximately 43 images of child pornography, including visual depictions of prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office wants residents to be aware of a scam that may be targeting senior citizens in the area.

According to a post on the LCSO Facebook page, a Hershey resident received a letter in the mail on January 8 titled, “Lincoln County Referendum on Social Security.”

Authorities say the letter requested that a payment of $16.75 be made by cash or credit card to support the “Social Security Trust Fund.”

The LCSO says, after further investigation, they have determined that this is a scam targeting senior citizen’s money.

They say anyone who receives a letter of this nature should throw it away.

• Spencer Drew Campbell, 27, Curtis NE and Marina Rae Ovalle, 25, Curtis NE

• Michael David Sappenfield, 51, North Platte and Gina Marie Elizondo, 46, North Platte

• Douglas Alan Ross, 28, North Platte and Tiffany Leeanne Blaylock, 24, North Platte

• Thomas J King, 50, North Platte and Darcy Kay King, 49, North Platte

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Some of the students who gathered in Lincoln at the Nebraska Youth Summit on Climate say they did so because they wanted to move from debate into action.

Thursday’s summit was the brainchild of state Sen. Ken Haar (hahr), and it drew more than 60 high school and college students. Among them was Reuben Erickson, says climate change is “really a pressing issue that’s going to affect us a lot more than Senator Haar and those making decisions.”

The summit was designed to give the young people a voice, teaching them the legislative process and advising them on how to have effective meetings with lawmakers, how to testify and how to get the media involved.

FRANKLIN, Neb. (AP) — A southern Nebraska doctor will be monitored by a fellow physician over the next four years as part of an agreement the doctor made with Nebraska regulatory authorities.

State authorities say Dr. Daniel Mazour, of Franklin, didn’t adhere to professional standards in prescribing controlled substances for treatment of pain or other conditions.

Under the agreement, Mazour’s medical license will be on probation until Jan. 10, 2020. The agreement also calls for Mazour to complete courses on prescribing narcotics, on documentation and on keeping records.

Mazour didn’t agree with the allegations or deny them.

A North Platte man has been accused of sexually assaulting a young relative.

On January 28, the North Platte Police Department received an intake from the Department of Health and Human Services, in regards to an 11-year-old who alleged that they were inappropriately touched by a 22-year-old relative, Christopher Meyer.

According to Investigator John Deal, the child was interviewed at the Bridge of Hope Child Advocacy Center. The child disclosed that Meyer had touched her genitals while they were at a residence in the 2800 block of West 5th Street.

Investigators made contact with Meyer and conducted an interview with him as well.

At the conclusion of the investigation, it was determined that there was probable cause to arrest Meyer and charge him with 3rd-degree sexual assault of a child.

Meyer was arrested and jailed at the Lincoln County Detention Center.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s secretary of state says a bill that would let voters snap and share photos of their ballots will harm the integrity of the voting process.

A spokesman for Secretary of State John Gale testified against the bill during a legislative hearing Thursday.

The bill’s sponsor, Lincoln Sen. Adam Morfeld, says “ballot selfies” are a form of free speech and encourage voters to participate in elections.

Deputy Secretary of Elections Neal Erickson says unregulated selfies would create an atmosphere “ripe for electioneering” by those who wish to intentionally influence others.

Under current law, Nebraska voters can’t show their marked ballots to others. Those who violate the law risk being charged with a misdemeanor and fined $100.