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HARTINGTON — A man who moved to Nebraska to pursue a relationship with an underage girl he met through social media will be spending some more time in the state but behind bars.
Steven Habegger, 20, moved from Montana to Nebraska for the girl but ultimately was convicted of her sexual assault in Cedar County District Court.
Judge Bryan Meismer originally sentenced Habegger to four years of probation in March but it was only about three months before he violated the probation order and was ultimately detained.
Habegger admitted to violating his probation when he was arrested on April 30 in Missoula, Mont. and charged with negligent vehicular assault after a driving under the influence investigation.
At that time, Montana probation services found him to be in possession of a cell phone which went against his probation order, disallowing use of any electronic devices where he could access the Internet.
On May 8, Nebraska probation asked for and was granted GPS tracking of Habegger.
On June 1, the Nebraska probation officer asked for Habegger’s arrest due to his termination from transitional living in Hastings. Officials at the home said Habegger had multiple violations including contact with underage girls and nappropriately touching other residents.
“I spent a lot of time contemplating what to do in this circumstance,” Meismer said regarding his original probation order. “I thought I was doing right by everyone involved in placing you on probation. I always tell people that I would never knowingly set them up for failure with an order for probation. In hindsight, maybe probation wasn’t the greatest idea because I knew you were going to struggle.”
Cedar County Attorney Nick Matney and Habegger’s lawyer, Pat Carney, Norfolk, agreed to recommend a prison term of four to six years.
“Probation is an opportunity and the defendant did not take advantage of the opportunity provided and I do have concerns,” Matney said, asking Meismer to adhere to the recommendation.
Meismer revoked Habegger’s probation and sentenced him to four to six years in prison.
In other court action:
- Jackson Metheny, 26, Laurel, pleaded guilty to protection order violation and a charge of stalking was dismissed. He was convicted of making contact through social media with an individual who had a protection order against him. He was sentenced to four months in prison. The prison term handed down Monday will be served at the same time as his previous convictions.
- Sage Stolpe, 21, Magnet, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft by unlawful taking for stealing four rings and selling them to a Norfolk jeweler. He was ordered to serve 80 days in jail and pay restitution of $316.80. He was given credit for
time served, processed and released.
Stolpe will appear in Adams County District Court next month for sentencing on felony child abuse and third-degree sexual assault convictions.
- An arrest warrant was issued for Haligh Guenther, 20, Crofton, on charges of third-degree assault and child abuse stemming from an incident June 25. Guenther allegedly punched a family member with a fist and struck a child with a car seat she was removing from a vehicle.
- Timothy Lueth, 42, Hartington, pleaded not guilty to felony child abuse and assault by strangulation and he will appear again in November.
The charges stem from a March 20 incident in a Hartington home. According to court records, the victim and two other children were at a home with Lueth when he found her in a closet, grabbed her by the neck and threw her down. She indicated it was hard for her to breathe and witnesses said she was coughing. One of the witnesses said Lueth lifted the girl up high enough by her neck that her feet were not touching the ground. The girl received medical attention after the alleged assault and police were called in to investigate.
