An Omaha man who was supposed to stand trial this week has instead pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual assault of a child, in a case in which a judge had denied him bond. Darius Sharp entered the guilty plea as part of a deal that saw all other counts against him dropped, and he is now set to be sentenced on December 21.
Jury Trial Scrapped for Plea Deal
Sharp had been scheduled to appear in court Tuesday for a jury trial, according to KETV. Instead of going before a jury, he changed his plea to guilty to first-degree sexual assault of a child, the station reports. As part of the agreement, all other counts against him were dropped.
Sentencing in the case is set for December 21, per the same account. The station's report does not detail the facts underlying the charge or identify any information about a victim.
Earlier Charges and a Denied Bond
The case against Sharp, 30, had earlier drawn attention when a Douglas County judge denied him bond. At that point, Sharp was charged with first- and third-degree sexual assault of a child, as well as child abuse, as previously reported by KETV in coverage of that bond decision.
It is not clear from available reporting whether those earlier charges precisely match the counts ultimately resolved through the guilty plea. First-degree sexual assault of a child is addressed under Nebraska Revised Statutes § 28-319.01, titled “Sexual assault of a child; first degree; penalty,” according to the Nebraska Legislature.
With the plea entered and sentencing scheduled for December 21, the case now moves toward its final phase in Douglas County.
