Local Court News, (Central Nebraska Today)
HASTINGS — A former Webster County Sheriff’s Office deputy who has been charged with possession of child pornography was sentenced to 90 days in prison on Wednesday, Jan. 7.
Zachary Pohlmeier, 30, had been charged with five counts of possession of child pornography, each a Class 2A felony.
Pohlmeier later appeared in Webster County District Court, and it was noted that a plea agreement had been reached in the case. Pohlmeier would plead no contest to the first three counts of possession of child pornography, with the last two being dismissed by the court.
A no contest plea is neither an admission nor denial of guilt, but the plea is treated the same as a guilty plea.
At the sentencing hearing Judge Timothy Hoeft sentenced Pohlmeier to 90 days in prison on each couch, to be served concurrently, he must also pay a $2,000 fine on each count.
Pohlmeier was also sentenced to a probation term of five years and must register with the Nebraska Sex Offender Registry for 25 years.
According to the affidavit submitted in court records, a cyber tip was submitted that included three files of child pornography with a phone number.
The Nebraska State Patrol obtained a subpoena for the account in August 2024 and the phone number, and the IP address were connected to Pohlmeier.
When the phone was seized and searched, investigators found 36 files of child pornography, including victims of various ages.
An arrest warrant was issued for Pohlmeier, and he was arrested in Hastings on March 27.
The Webster County Sheriff’s Office stated in a news release that Pohlmeier was terminated the morning the office was made aware of the allegations.
He graduated from the Law Enforcement Training Center in 2021.