Former Kearney pastor sentenced for sexual assault

Press & Dakotan
April 22, 2014

http://www.yankton.net/news/state_ap_ne/article_99b7e762-cb97-528f-ae1f-1d8f1513a15e.html

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — A former Kearney church youth pastor faces up to 40 years in prison for sexually assaulting three boys.

The Kearney Hub reports (http://bit.ly/1rgAXU0 ) that 37-year-old Thomas A. Jones was sentenced Monday in Buffalo County District Court. Jones was convicted of two counts of felony sexual assault of child, two counts of felony third-degree sexual assault of a child and one count of attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child.

Prosecutors say the incidents took place in Kearney between 1999 and 2006. In each case, Jones exposed himself to the boys, touched their private parts or was involved in oral sex with them.

Jones was sentenced to 17 to 40 years in prison. With good time credit, he could be eligible for parole in 8 ½ years.