Federal Sexual Abuse Sentences in the District of Nebraska, FY2016–2025
160 people were sentenced for sexual abuse offenses in the District of Nebraska in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and all 160 received a prison term. The median prison term was 144 months, compared with 180 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts. 4 received a life sentence.
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the District of Nebraska, FY2016–2025 › Sexual Abuse: District of Nebraska
In brief: 160 people were sentenced for sexual abuse offenses in the District of Nebraska in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and all 160 received a prison term. The median prison term was 144 months, compared with 180 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts. 4 received a life sentence.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 160 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. It is part of the Federal Prosecution Analysis series, which builds on Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System. How the numbers were built: How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built.
Every Person Received a Prison Term
All 160 people (100%) received a prison term, and none received probation only. The median was 144 months, or 12 years. A quarter received 247 months or more, and a quarter received 93.8 months or less. 4 people received a life sentence.
Across all 94 districts, the median prison term for this offense type was 180 months. For all offenses in the District of Nebraska, it was 57 months. Sexual abuse cases here carried terms lower than the national median for the offense type and higher than the district's cases overall.
What the Offense Type Includes
"Sexual Abuse" is the U.S. Sentencing Commission's category. It is not limited to one statute, and the primary guidelines show the range. The most common was §2G2.1 (Sexually Exploiting a Minor by Production of Sexually Explicit Visual or Printed Material) with 65 people. Next were §2G1.3 (Promoting a Commercial Sex Act or Prohibited Sexual Conduct with a Minor) with 46, §2A3.1 (Criminal Sexual Abuse) with 21, and §2A3.2 (Criminal Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under the Age of Sixteen Years (Statutory Rape) or Attempt to Commit Such Acts) with 14.
These cases were 3% of the 4,887 people sentenced in the District of Nebraska over the 10 fiscal years.
How Often Cases Went to Trial
143 of 160 people (89%) pleaded guilty, and 17 were convicted after a trial. For all offenses in this district, 97% pleaded guilty. For this offense type in all districts, the figure was 90%.
The median prison term was 135 months after a guilty plea and 235 months after a trial, based on 17 people. Among those who pleaded guilty, 94% had a written plea agreement and 6% were straight pleas.
Terms by Fiscal Year
The fiscal year runs from October 1 to the end of September. The yearly table shows a median of 51 months in fiscal year 2018 and 240 months in fiscal year 2024. 39 people were sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2019, and 121 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025.
Yearly groups range from 8 to 27 people, which is small. The records do not show what is behind the changes from year to year.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 9 | 180 months | 9 of 9 |
| 2017 | 8 | 72 months | 7 of 8 |
| 2018 | 12 | 51 months | 92% |
| 2019 | 10 | 102 months | 100% |
| 2020 | 22 | 139.5 months | 91% |
| 2021 | 18 | 174 months | 83% |
| 2022 | 27 | 120 months | 85% |
| 2023 | 24 | 174 months | 92% |
| 2024 | 19 | 240 months | 89% |
| 2025 | 11 | 235 months | 82% |
Guideline Range and Mandatory Minimums
77 people (48%) were sentenced within the guideline range. 49 (31%) were below the range at the government's request, and 17 (11%) were below it without a government request. 17 (11%) were above the range. For all districts, 41% were within the range.
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 97 people (61%).
Supervised Release, Restitution, and Criminal History
Supervised release was ordered after prison for all 160 people. The median term was 60 months, and 23 people (14%) were given supervised release for life. 34 people (21%) were ordered to pay restitution, and 5 (3%) to pay a fine.
The lowest criminal history category held 57% of the people, and the highest held 4%. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Limits of This Data
Only people who were convicted and sentenced appear here, so acquittals and dismissals are not counted. Each prison term is the term imposed, not time served. No case details are given.
Offutt AFB, Nebraska, is in this district, but military trials take place in military courts and not in this federal court.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Nebraska (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Nebraska") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Sexual Abuse" (160). Offense types are the Commission's OFFGUIDE categories.
Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records.
What to Keep in Mind
No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct. Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served.
Federal supervised release. Most federal prison sentences are followed by a term of supervised release that the judge sets as part of the sentence. A person who violates it can be sent back to prison. A court-martial cannot sentence anyone to supervision after release. Military parole and mandatory supervised release are decided later by a board, not by the judge at trial.
Who decides the sentence, and under what rules. Federal judges sentence every federal case. They must calculate the Sentencing Guidelines range, which is advisory, and must impose any mandatory minimum the statute requires unless an exception applies. In courts-martial, the accused could choose sentencing by members until the rules changed. For cases in which every guilty finding is for an offense committed after December 27, 2023, a military judge sentences alone, within sentencing parameters. Courts-martial tried in 2024 and later include both old-rule and new-rule cases, and the data cannot tell them apart.
Time periods. Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually.
How life sentences and "time served" are counted. In the federal numbers, a life sentence is counted as 470 months, and any other sentence longer than 470 months is counted as just under 470 months. A sentence of "time served" is counted as one day (0.03 months). Averages are affected by these rules; medians much less.
Mandatory minimum sentences. Many federal statutes on drugs, images of child exploitation, child sex abuse, and firearms carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The UCMJ has mandatory minimums only for a few offenses (a dishonorable discharge or dismissal for rape and sexual assault, and life for premeditated murder). Federal sentences for these offenses are partly set by Congress, not by the judge.
Related Analysis
- Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System (the background article)
- Federal Prosecution Analysis (all federal posts)
- How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built (sources and method)
- Federal Sentences in the District of Nebraska, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Nebraska, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of Nebraska, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Nebraska, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Nebraska, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles (source)
- Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants) (source)
About the author. Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts Where All The Bodies Are Buried and runs the Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.