Jeffrey Willson (Courtesy photo)
GRAND ISLAND – Hall County District Judge Patrick Lee sentenced Jeffrey Willson, 49, of Grand Island on March 31 to at least 84 years in prison for two sexual assault convictions that occurred in 2019.
Willson was originally charged with felony first-degree sexual assault on a child (second offense) for a child under age 12 for incidents that occurred between Jan. 1, 2019, and Oct. 31, 2019. He was also charged with felony third-degree sexual assault on a child for incidents that occurred between Jan. 1, 2019, and Oct. 31, 2019. That victim was born in 2010.
On Dec. 9, 2025, Willson reached a plea agreement. He pleaded innocent or no contest to two counts of felony first-degree sexual assault. Prosecution made no sentencing agreements. Lee found Willson guilty of the two charges.
Lee sentenced Willson to 42 to 50 years in prison on the first charge and 42 to 50 years in prison on the second charge. The terms are to be served consecutively.
Lee was already registered on the Nebraska Sex Offender Registry as a lifetime offender for a 1998 conviction in Dawson County.
According to a police probable cause statement:
On June 11, 2025, police received a report of a sexual assault on a child. Willson had lived in the home of the victim from January 2019 to October 2019. The victim had reported incidents at the Child Advocacy that involved sexual touching and penetration multiple times.
The victim’s mother called Willson in the presence of law enforcement. He admitted to sexual touching at least three times. He also admitted one time when he had been intoxicated where an additional sexual assault occurred.
