Hastings man charged with sexual assault of a minor

HASTINGS, Neb. (KSNB) - A Hastings man, who is currently on parole for attempted sexual assault of a child, is facing a similar charge once again.

According to officials, 24-year-old Lane Wecker was charged in Adams County Court with first-degree sexual assault of a minor, with the victim’s age between 14 and 18.

Hastings Police were asked to investigate a referral from the Department of Health and Human Service, which then led to the arrest of Wecker not long after he spoke with police.

According to the arrest affidavit, the referral said a Hastings woman found her teenage daughter with a 24-year-old male, but he fled the home.

Police were able to identify the man as Wecker from the victim’s phone.

The affidavit states an officer reviewed numerous messages from Wecker, stating things like “I love you” and sexually suggestive content in the messages he sent the victim.

Wecker agreed to come into the police station to speak with officers.

Hastings Police said in the affidavit that Wecker admitted to going to the victim’s home and having sex with her.

Wecker told police he knew it was wrong because of the girl’s age and said he didn’t know if the victim consented because she did not say anything to him during the incident.

“Lane admitted that he sometimes cannot control the thoughts and urges,” the officer wrote in the affidavit.

Wecker is a registered sex offender.

According to Dawson County District Court documents, Wecker was convicted of attempted first-degree sexual assault of a child in March of 2020.

That came after the original charge of first-degree sexual assault of a child was reduced in a plea after he pleaded guilty to the crime that happened in 2018.

He was sentenced to serve four to six years and put his name on the sex offender registry for 25 years. He was paroled in April 2022 from Tecumseh State Correctional Institution.

An Adams County Court judge has set his bond in this case at 10% of $250,000.

His next court hearing is set for Friday at 9 a.m.