A former Nebraska TV news anchor, Joseph Scanlan, 27, was convicted on Thursday of three misdemeanor charges.
Scanlan entered a guilty plea to an attempt of a Class IV felony and two counts of intimidation through phone calls or electronic communication.
Originally facing charges of terroristic threats, a felony, Scanlan’s plea led to a reduction in charges.
An arrest warrant was issued for Scanlan in December, during his tenure as a morning anchor at KSNB in Hastings.
On December 1st, a woman from Gibbon filed for a protection order against Scanlan, alleging harassment via text messages, social media, and handwritten notes.
The woman detailed in her protection order request that she had blocked Scanlan on social media.
However, in October, Scanlan allegedly used a KSNB account to interact with her posts and send messages, according to the document.
Scanlan was subsequently terminated from his position due to these actions, the woman claimed.
A protection order was granted by a Buffalo County judge on December 4th.
The very next day, Scanlan reportedly sent an email to the woman threatening to “ruin” her life, as stated in an affidavit.
Following his arrest on Wednesday, Scanlan was held at the Buffalo County Jail, as per booking records.
He posted a $500 bond and was released on Thursday, according to court records.
Scanlan’s sentencing is scheduled for May 30th.
Depending on the findings of the presentence investigation, which includes a psychological evaluation, prosecutors might suggest probation.
However, Scanlan faces a potential sentence of up to 1½ years in jail and a fine of as much as $2,000.
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