Kearney man accused of harboring child-abuse fugitive makes plea deal
KEARNEY, Neb. — A Kearney man will be sentenced in relation to accusations that he harbored a fugitive who was wanted for child abuse.
55-year-old Clint Ellingson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor false reporting last week. In exchange for the conviction, the state dropped one count of being an accessory to a felony and reduced the second count.
Police arrested Ellingson in Nov. 2023. Investigators say he helped harbor Jacob Ellingson, a Kearney man accused of child abuse who evaded arrest for a week in Sept. 2023. The younger Ellingson is charged with intentional child abuse and child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury. The charges relate to injuries that sent a one-year-old girl to a hospital.
The older Ellingson is set for sentencing on Dec. 19. He could face up to a year in prison.
Jacob Ellingson has pleaded not guilty to his charges. He is next due in court on Dec. 3.