Omaha teen admits to sexually assaulting two women at knifepoint when he was 13

The teen, who was 13 years old at the time of the assaults, admitted to two counts of first-degree sexual assault, one count of terroristic threats and one count of use of a knife to commit a felony. Prosecutors dismissed nine additional charges on Wednesday, including robbery and kidnapping, as part of a plea deal.

Douglas County Juvenile Court Judge Candice Novak set another hearing for Feb. 26 to decide where the teen will be placed. He has been accepted at two residential treatment facilities for sexually offending youths: Whitehall, which is based in Lincoln, and Youth Health Associates, which has multiple locations in Utah.

Because he was 13 at the time of the assaults, the Juvenile Court will have jurisdiction over the teen until he turns 19. State law restricts prosecutors from trying juveniles younger than 14 as adults.

The teen will continue to be held at the Douglas County Youth Center until a placement is chosen by Novak. At the next hearing, representatives from Whitehall and Youth Health Associates will be asked to share information about the programs before Novak makes a decision.

“I’m very concerned about where we’re going to place him,” Novak said. “I need a lot more information than I have today to feel comfortable making a decision.”

According to an advocate for the teen present at Wednesday’s hearing, the teen has been involved in multiple fights while incarcerated at the County Youth Center and once exposed himself to another person at the facility. Novak said she wanted to make sure his potential placement was aware of the “ongoing violent behavior.”

At the end of the hearing, Novak addressed the teen directly.

“The information before me is not good, young man,” Novak said before reprimanding the teen for rolling his eyes. “Since you have been at DCYC, you’ve continued to engage in violent criminal behavior. You don’t have any self control, clearly.”

According to court documents, police reports and in-court statements from prosecutors:

The teen stole a car on the morning of July 7, 2023, and was driving that car at the time of both assaults. The first assault occurred at about 4:15 p.m. near 43rd and Nicholas Streets as a woman was walking through a parking lot. The teen got out of the car before approaching the woman with a knife and demanding that she get into the car.

The woman resisted and grabbed the teen’s wrist. The teen then put his hand down her pants and sexually assaulted her by digital penetration. He fled from the area after a neighbor saw the commotion and yelled at him to leave.

Less than an hour later, another sexual assault was reported at Memorial Park. The woman told police that she was forced off the sidewalk and into the tree line at knifepoint before the teen took off her clothes, raped and strangled her. He also threatened to kill the woman because she saw his face, but fled after hearing police sirens and a helicopter overhead.

The teen was later found hiding in a ravine at Memorial Park. He has been held at the Youth Center since his arrest.