Sub teacher pleads
guilty to sex assault
BY JLL CONNER
Charges against a Lincoln
substitute teacher were amended
Tuesday in Lancaster County
District Court
Myron Robertson, 41, was
arrested and charged with two
counts of first-degree sexual
assault after police discovered in
October that he was having sexual
contact with a 14-year-old girl
Robertson agreed Tuesday to
plead guilty to one count of
attempted sexual assault only if
his second charge was amended
to attempted visual depiction of
sexually explicit conduct
Robertson’s attorney and
Deputy County Attorney Lory
Resold reached a plea agreement
and Robertson pled no contest to
the second, lesser charge.
District Court Judge Earl
Withoff warned Robertson that
his guilty plea did not erase the
consequences of his actions.
“If you plead guilty and I
accept your plea, you will be
charged with two felonies that
later on in life can be used against
you," Withoff said.
The state agreed not to file any
more charges against Robertson.
Robertson met the 14-year
old girl at a school where he was a
substitute teacher.
In September, die girl’s moth
er told officers that Robertson had
been at her home to help her
daughter with math homework.
During the visit, Robertson took
some pictures ofthe girl, which he
said would be used for wallpaper
on a class computer, County
Attorney Pasold said.
A few months later, in
October, the girl and a friend went
to Roper Park while the girl’s
mother was shopping The moth
er returned to find Robertson’s
truck parked near the park.
A Lincoln Police investigator
interviewed the girl’s friend, who
said Robertson had taken sexually
explicit pictures of both her and
her friend at the park, Pasold said.
Pasold said the girl had con
tact with Robertson through a cel
lular telephone he’d given her.
Robertson’s brother told
police in September that he sus
pected his brother had sexual
intercourse with the girl
During an interview, the girl
told police she’d had sexual con
tact with Robertson once before
September
Bill to help cities
CITIES from page!
tion center.
In the process of making
these changes, Wickersham said,
the state will lose money to fees
and taxes that it wouldn’t have to
sacrifice if the money were spent
on building renovations.
He said community planners
in Lincoln and Omaha will need
cash right away, forcing them to
issue interest-bearing bonds
that will be paid down gradually
as tobacco taxes roll in.
But each year lawmakers
wait for the taxes, he said, the
state has to pay interest to bond
purchasers.
In the end, Wickersham said,
the state will have to spend about
$10 million on interest and fees.
Ten million dollars could go a
long ways toward fixing broken
buildings, he said.
Sen. Chris Bourne of Omaha
voted for the bill in hopes of fix
ing a sewage problem that
plagues some of his constituents.
Bourne amended the bill to
ensure the City of Omaha fix a
sewer problem in East Omaha
that floods residential base
ments with raw sewage during
heavy rainfalls.
Years ago, he said, the mayor
and the city council reached a
“gentlemen’s agreement* to
clean up the sewage.
But, he said, when new
politicians took office, nothing
was done.
So, Bourne said, he added an
amendment that forces the city
to spend $7 million a year for the
next four years on sorting out the
sewer problem if it wants to get
die rest of the tobacco money.
Beyond his sewer concerns,
Bourne said, he wasn’t overly
interested in die bill
“My concern really was limit
ed to the City of Omaha honor
ing its agreement,” he said.
Hard work rewarded
CLEMENTS from page 1
events.
“The panelists make sure you
know what you’re talking about"
eh* said.
After she graduates in May
2002, dements said she’d like to
go to law school, perhaps at
Columbia University in New
fork.
After college, dements said
she’d like to combine her political
science and history majors with
her international relations and
African American studies minors
to work with human rights and
international aid and develop
ment
dements said her ideal job
would be to work at the United
Nations.
The scholarship also helps
dements get her foot in the door
for an internship with the State
Department in Washington, D.C,
after graduation.
While at UNL, dements was
an ASUN senator and chair
woman of the Human Rights
rnmmittpp
Last fall, she fought against
the passage of Initiative 416,
which bans same-sex marriages,
domestic partnerships and gay
civil unions in Nebraska.
dements also worked - suc
cessfully- to get domestic part
ner benefits few UNL students. So
far, she’s worked for such benefits
for faculty and staff members to
no avail.
"A lot of my work in student
government simply has been
reaching out," she sakL "It wasn’t
championing issues but making
sure they're heard."
Although Clements is receiv
ing a hefty award for her public
service, she said working with ,
other students made it possible.
“It's not just me," she said. “It's
a little bit of a testament of the
hard work of the students.”
Do you wont to develop the following skills:
•employment
•communication
• presentation
Jhmm tot's |«t NtSUNL!
Soon Encouraging Responsible
Sexuality at UNlJPEISUNl) are looking
for motivated and responsible students
interested in providing educational
programming in an inclusive,
non|udgemental and appropriate manner.
Stuaents must enroll in and complete
HLTH230 for PSEs (during the first 5
week session on Tuesday and Thursday
from II a.m. to 12:20 p.m.).
Par mare Infarmatians
Community Health Education
12 University Health Center
472-7440, phone
<ptetreault10unl.edu>, e-mail
Apply ea-llne ati
<http://www.unl.edu/health/PERSUNL.html>
As Lkmwwty of Ntbnako m m *qucj opportune educator
Police looking for suspects in
Seacrest Field vandalism
Vandalism at Seacrest Field,
Lincoln East High School’s foot
hall stadium near 74th and A
Streets, left police without any sus
pects.
Finnell said the vandalism
occurred sometime between 5
p.m. Friday and 11 ajn. Monday.
Staff at the field found a 12
foot by 14-foot section of burnt
grass and paint spilled on the
field, she said
The total damage amounted
to about $10,000, she said
Police are offering a reward for
any information regarding the
vandalism. Anyone with possible
information is urged to call Crime
Stoppers at475-3600.
Compiled by fill Conner
j w\
" tail—ahlDhpinihihrMii 1
| Coapoa aapiras May 31,2001 ■
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Training for Students
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Wednesday, April 4
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Student technology workshops are free for registered UNL
students. Space is limited. Sign up online:
http://itg.unl.edu/tnuning/student/
Two juveniles arrested for
vandalism,assault
Damage to about 60 vehicles
and homes in die northwest part
of Lincoln led to die arrest of two
Lincoln teen-agers Monday.
Christopher Bebard, 17, and
Chad Bruchett, 16, were both
arrested on three counts of felony
criminal mischief and one count
of felony assault after officers
spotted the two using a pellet rifle
to shoot out a window, said
Lincoln Police Officer Katherine
FinnelL
Finnell said reports of die van
dalism came in around 9 p.m.
Monday.
Around 10:30 pun., a 13-year
old boy walking near Mickle
Middle School, 2500 N. 67th St,
was shot in the chin with a pellet
from a moving car.
Theboysaid he sawa red vehi
cle pass him, Finnell said, and
after the vehicle stopped and
backed up, the boy was hit
The 13-year-old was taken to
St Elizabeth’s Hospital, where the
pellet was surgically removed.
Officer Paul Aksamit was help
ing the northeast team find the
two teen-agers when he spotted a
red vehicle in an ally around 63id
and Ballard streets.
Aksamit, from the unmarked
car Ik was sitting in, saw a person
reach out of the passenger side
window of the red car and then
heard the sound of glass breaking.
The two teens were appre
hended and cited with the
charges.
Man charged with sexual
assault ofstepdaughter
A Lincoln man was d ted with
sexual assault after he allegedly
sexually assaulted his stepdaugh
ter.
Finnell said Roberto Romero,
34, was cited Monday with first
degree sexual assault of a child
after his stepdaughter reported
two incidents to the Lincoln
Police Department
Romero's 14-year-old step
daughter reported a week-long
sexual relationship in January,
and a second assault that
occurred about a week ago,
Finnell said.
Romero was taken to
Lancaster County JaiL
Please recycle
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Nebraskan!
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IMAGINE
A CAMPUS WITHOUT THE PROBLEMS OF HIGH-RISK DRINKING.
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