A former McMillan Middle School employee in Omaha has been sentenced to three to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of attempted pandering of a minor, a reduced charge in a case that began with allegations he met a 16-year-old girl in September 2023. Jeffrey Schafer will also be required to register as a sex offender once his prison term is complete.
According to KETV, Schafer took a plea deal reducing his original charge, and the station reports he was ultimately sentenced to that three-to-seven-year term for the single pandering count. Prosecutors said Schafer met the victim in September 2023, when she was 16 years old, and that the investigation into his conduct did not begin until July 2024.
What Court Documents Describe
Court documents cited in the station's earlier reporting indicate Omaha police spoke directly with the victim as part of the investigation, and that she shared messages and photos with investigators. Those records form the basis of the case that eventually led to Schafer's guilty plea and sentencing.
The case drew additional scrutiny before it reached a plea deal. An earlier report from the same outlet said prosecutors believed the victim may have been involved with at least 36 men potentially engaging in similar conduct, though that reporting does not establish whether any of those other individuals were charged or found to have committed crimes.
Part of a Broader Pattern in Nebraska Schools
Schafer's case is one of several involving school employees in Nebraska facing sex crimes allegations in recent months. A former Lincoln Northeast High School teacher pleaded no contest to two counts of sexual abuse by a school employee involving allegations from four students, according to the Fremont Tribune. Separately, federal prosecutors announced that a former Bellevue East High School vocal music teacher, David John Groth, 38, of Omaha, was sentenced on October 30 in federal court in Omaha for receipt and distribution of child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nebraska.
No details on the sentencing judge, the exact date of Schafer's hearing, or the specific terms of his plea agreement were included in the available court reporting. Schafer's registration as a sex offender will take effect following his prison sentence.
