Opinion ID: 4537649
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: facts

Text: We begin by setting forth the factual background for the crimes charged. Bearing in mind our standard of review, we summarize this evidence in the light most favorable to the State. Additional background relevant to particular errors assigned will be supplied in the analysis. On September 22, 2017, B.G. held a party at her apartment, where she lived with her daughter. One of the invitees, Alexa Thomas, brought a group of eight or nine people whom B.G. did not know, including Guzman. B.G. consumed alcohol to the point of being “drunk.” She also snorted cocaine. B.G. began to feel sick and told everyone to leave. She vomited and then lay down in her bedroom. B.G. heard her bedroom door open and saw a group of unknown males standing in her doorway. She felt her clothing being removed and her arms and legs being held. B.G. testified: “I said no. I said stop. Then I just gave up . . . [b]ecause there was [sic] too many.” Although B.G. did not give permission for anyone to have sex with her, she could tell that more than one male penetrated her vagina. Someone turned her head and inserted his penis in her mouth. According to an attendee at the party, Guzman said he had sex with B.G. After B.G. began crying, the males left. B.G. checked on her daughter and then “passed out.” When B.G. woke, she called - 380 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 305 Nebraska Reports STATE v. GUZMAN Cite as 305 Neb. 376 her mother and asked her to come to B.G.’s apartment. At some point, B.G. told her mother that she had a party and “got raped.” B.G. went to a hospital and reported to a sexual assault nurse examiner that two assailants penetrated her vagina. A police officer spoke with B.G. at the hospital, and she told the officer that four to five males vaginally penetrated her with their penises. Police conducted an investigation following B.G.’s report of the incident. Thomas shared with police text messages she exchanged with Guzman the morning after the party. In these text messages, Guzman told Thomas that he had video of a group of males having sex with B.G. Thomas asked if Guzman had sex with B.G., but he replied that he “was just [the] camera man.” After meeting with Thomas, an officer prepared an affidavit for a search warrant for Guzman’s cell phones. The next day, officers went to Guzman’s place of employment to interview him and obtain any of his digital devices capable of storing electronic media. Upon questioning by an officer, Guzman consistently denied having sex with B.G. After interviewing Guzman, police arrested him. A forensic examination of one of Guzman’s cell phones uncovered three short videos taken between 6:41 and 6:49 a.m. on September 23, 2017, which showed penile-vaginal intercourse with B.G.; one video additionally showed a penis being inserted into B.G.’s mouth. The tampering with a witness charge arose out of Guzman’s October 2017 jail telephone call to Thomas. Thomas testified that Guzman wanted her to “tell [B.G.] to drop the charges.” Thomas complied, telling B.G. that Guzman wanted B.G. to drop the charges. The jury returned verdicts of guilty on first degree sexual assault and on tampering with a witness, and the court accepted the verdicts. The court imposed a sentence of 12 to 20 years’ imprisonment for the sexual assault conviction and a concurrent sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment for the witness tampering conviction. - 381 - Nebraska Supreme Court Advance Sheets 305 Nebraska Reports STATE v. GUZMAN Cite as 305 Neb. 376 Guzman appealed. The State filed a petition to bypass review by the Nebraska Court of Appeals—which we granted—and asserted a purported cross-appeal in its brief.