An O’Neill man made his latest court appearance on Monday in one of his two felony cases tied to alleged crimes against minors in multiple counties.
Hunter Cullen, 25, is accused of first-degree sexual assault and possession of child pornography in Antelope and Cherry counties, respectively. He was charged in both jurisdictions on Aug. 20.
Cullen appeared in Cherry County Court on Monday, during which he was granted a request for court-appointed counsel. He or somebody on his behalf posted 10% of $200,000 bail in Antelope County on Aug. 21 and a $1,500 cash bail in Cherry County on Sept. 2.
Cullen is accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl in Antelope County on Feb. 20, and he is suspected of possessing child sexual abuse material in Cherry County on April 23. And while he is facing two charges, Cullen is alleged in an arrest affidavit to have possessed explicit photos and videos of 19 teenage girls on his cellphone. He allowed authorities to search his phone while he was in custody in Cherry County for allegedly procuring alcohol to a minor.
The photos and videos ranged from 2023 to 2026, and all of the girls depicted are believed to have been 14 to 18 years old at the time. Nebraska State Patrol investigators, along with authorities in Antelope and Cherry counties, were able to identify three of the girls — two of whom were age 15 and the third age 14.
One video allegedly depicts a 15-year-old girl engaged in a sex act with Cullen in February.
Cullen is scheduled to appear in Antelope County Court next on Wednesday, Sept. 16. A first-degree sexual assault conviction carries a maximum 50-year prison sentence.
Cullen’s next court hearing in Cherry County is set for Monday, Oct. 19. There, he faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of possessing child pornography.
MADISON — A Lincoln defense attorney could be held in contempt after failing to appear for a pre-trial status hearing in Madison County District Court Friday afternoon.
Even when trailing at the end of the first quarter after suffering through a slow start, Ponca maintained faith that its running game was close to taking over Friday afternoon’s game against Lutheran High Northeast.
More than 200 people gathered Saturday at Ta-Ha-Zouka Park for The Connection Project’s Northeast Nebraska Rally for Recovery, a community event aimed at celebrating recovery and connecting individuals with support resources.
The Boone Central football team entered Friday night’s game against Norfolk Catholic with a 2-0 record, having outscored Battle Creek and Summerland by a combined 69-3.
LAUREL — It took over four hours to determine the outcome of a Class D eight-man slugfest between Hartington-Newcastle and Laurel-Concord-Coleridge on Friday night.