BEATRICE – A Beatrice man who has been jailed in Gage County for several months charged with 1st-degree and 3rd-degree sexual assault of a minor, has pleaded to lesser charges.

49-year-old William T. Kelley pleaded guilty Monday in Gage County District Court to two felony charges of committing intentional child abuse but causing no injury.

Kelley is scheduled to be sentenced, September 21st.

On each conviction, Kelley could receive up to five years in prison, up to 18 months post-release supervision and a $10,000 fine.

Kelley entered Alford pleas to the reduced charges, pleading guilty and maintaining his innocence, but acknowledging that the prosecution has enough evidence to prove his guilt.  As part of the plea agreement, the State of Nebraska agreed not to pursue other charges regarding the sexual assault investigation that involved minor child victims.  The state alleges the crimes contained in the plea agreement happened in 2007 and 2008.

As part of the agreement, Kelley waived rights to appeal his convictions and sentence, including during post-release supervision.

A special prosecutor with the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office has been handling the case, which was scheduled for a pretrial conference, on Monday.  The case had previously been set for trial, August 18th in Gage County District Court, before Judge Vicky Johnson.

Kelley has been in custody, since May of 2018.   He is the husband of Ann Marie Riekenberg Kelley, a missing woman who was last seen in Beatrice, April 15th, 2008.   She has not been found.   William Kelley has not been charged in her disappearance.  In May of 2018, a Deputy Gage County Attorney said that Kelley remained a suspect in the disappearance.

William Kelley served nearly nine years of a 16-to-20-year prison term, for child abuse and firearms convictions in Gage County.  When he was released in May of 2018, sexual assault charges were filed against him.  Those charges were filed in relation to incidents allegedly occurring at a Filley residence and a Beatrice motel room.