A former Nebraska State Patrol trooper already serving two prison sentences was sentenced Wednesday to a third lengthy prison term for the 2022 sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl.

Brandon Dolezal, 26, pleaded no contest to two counts of first-degree sexual assault on a child and was sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison by Douglas County District Court Judge Molly Keane. The sentencing hearing Wednesday came after Dolezal pleaded no contest in June to the two charges and in exchange prosecutors dismissed five other counts.

Prosecutors said Dolezal twice sexually assaulted the girl he first met on the social media app Snapchat. Both incidents occurred in Dolezal’s pickup truck. Omaha police arrested Dolezal in a parking lot at Skutt Catholic High School, where the girl was a student, on Nov. 1, 2022.

In court, Dolezal apologized to the girl and her family. Matthew Knipe, Dolezal’s attorney, said his client recognizes what he’s done and wants to rectify his problem.

Prosecutor Nathan Barnhill said Dolezal’s behavior is a part of a “calculated” and “methodical” pattern.

Keane said Dolezal has shown a disregard for the law given Dolezal’s recent convictions in Scotts Bluff and Sarpy Counties for similar offenses. She also relayed a statement from the girl’s family submitted as part of a presentence investigation report.

In the statement, the family said the girl suffers from issues related to the trauma, including difficulty trusting people.

“This will be something they will deal with for their entire lives,” Keane said.

The Douglas County sentencing was the latest in Dolezal’s court proceedings.

In Scotts Bluff County earlier this year, Dolezal was ordered to serve 40 to 56 years in prison after being found guilty of four counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of attempted child enticement. He will be eligible for parole in 20 years under state sentencing guidelines. With good time, Dolezal could serve 20 to 28 years.

His Scotts Bluff sentence stems from sexting with two girls under 16 years old. At the time the offenses occurred, Dolezal was a state trooper stationed in the Panhandle. Dolezal was fired by the State Patrol in March 2021 after an internal investigation.

In Sarpy County, Dolezal was sentenced 20 to 40 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in Bellevue. In that case, Dolezal must serve 10 years in prison before he is eligible for parole and 20 before he must be released.

Dolezal’s latest prison sentence out of Douglas County will run consecutively to his prior sentences from Scotts Bluff and Sarpy Counties, meaning he will have to complete those prison terms before starting his new sentence from Douglas County.

This report includes material from the Scottsbluff Star-Herald.

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