Issac Koester, 19, faces a possible prison term of up to 50 years after a no-contest plea resulted in a felony conviction for first-degree sexual assault. The case involved a 14-year-old girl and assaults alleged to have occurred on multiple occasions earlier this year; Koester now awaits sentencing.
The Norfolk Daily News reported that Koester entered the plea without a negotiated agreement with the Madison County Attorney’s Office.
Koester’s no-contest plea resulted in a conviction.
What the Charge Carries Under Nebraska Law
Koester pleaded no contest to first-degree sexual assault. Nebraska Revised Statute § 28-319(1)(c) defines first-degree sexual assault as sexual penetration by an actor aged 19 or older with a victim who is at least 12 but under 16 years old, according to the Nebraska Legislature. The statute classifies the offense as a Class II felony, carrying a sentence ranging from a minimum of one year to a maximum of 50 years in prison under Nebraska Revised Statute § 28-105.
Sentencing Set for December
Sentencing is scheduled for Monday, December 14, 2026. District Judge Ryan Stover accepted Koester’s plea.
The 7th Judicial District, headquartered at the Madison County Courthouse, spans seven northeast Nebraska counties — Antelope, Cuming, Knox, Madison, Pierce, Stanton, and Wayne — per the Nebraska Judicial Branch.
Statewide Child-Welfare Context
Nebraska DHHS recorded 37,346 reports in 2024, including 34,725 Child Abuse & Neglect reports, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Children and Families. These are agency reports, not counts of criminal charges or convictions; the aggregate figures alone do not show how many reports involved alleged sexual abuse or how that number changed.
