BEATRICE — A convicted sex offender has been sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl.
James Richards, 37, of Beatrice had already served two prison terms when he pleaded no contest in June to third-degree sexual assault of a child. He was sentenced Wednesday in Gage County District Court.
Richards had previously been convicted in 2004 of child abuse and of child sexual assault in 2006. Police say his abuse of the 3-year-old took place between May and July of 2017.
In issuing his latest sentence, the judge noted that Richards failed to take responsibility for his crime, minimized his actions and expressed his belief that he was the victim.