Opinion ID: 1808114
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Sexual Assault Investigation

Text: Approximately 1 week after the Omaha trip, Rhodes spoke to Speer about a sexual assault of a child. Rhodes testified that Deputy Sheriff Tom Mayo was investigating another individual, Ricky Ross, for first degree sexual assault of the victim. Mayo told Rhodes that the victim had sex with several others, including Speer. A police report dated July 26, 1986, indicates that Speer was having sex with an underage girl. Rhodes testified he mentioned this information to Speer because the settlement [on the criminal mischief case] was that he would stay out of trouble; and also there was another incident where there was a police report that showed [Speer had] brought a girl home at 3:30 in the morning, and I was beginning to wonder what was going on with him. Rhodes testified that he called Speer to the office to see if he would lie about the incident and that the purpose of the meeting was to warn Speer that Rhodes had been getting these reports and to explain the concept of statutory rape to Speer. On August 8, 1986, Rhodes saw Speer at the Tumbleweed Cafe and asked Speer to come to the county attorney's office to discuss a new police report. Rhodes testified that on August 22, 1986, he discussed with Speer a potential prosecution involving a sexual assault allegedly perpetrated by Ricky Ross on a minor. Rhodes explained that he showed Speer the police report because Rhodes heard that Speer had also done something like that. During the conversation, Rhodes told Speer he assumed the victim's sexual relations with Speer were consensual. Speer then admitted that he had sex with the minor child. During the August 22 conversation, in an effort to impress upon Speer the seriousness of such cases, Rhodes asked Speer if he wanted to go to the Supreme Court to see a hearing where the husband was charged with first degree sexual assault. Rhodes also wanted to show Speer the University of Nebraska campus. Speer said he would like to go. On September 5, 1986, Speer told Rhodes he had to work on September 11, the day Rhodes was planning to go to Lincoln, but would have some time off the following Wednesday and Thursday and would like to see the university then.