An out-of-county judge will hear the case of a Douglas County Sheriff's Deputy accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man and taking nude pictures and video of him.
William James Webber, a full-time bailiff, faces felony charges of exposing a child to harmful material and reproducing a representation of nudity without consent, two misdemeanor counts of fourth degree sexual assault and two misdemeanor counts of obstructing an officer.
Douglas County Circuit Court Judge George Glonek recused himself from the case Friday during an initial hearing.
"I don't believe this court has any conflict," he said, but judges are also required to remove themselves from cases if there is an appearance of a conflict. As a bailiff, Webber had daily contact with members of the Douglas County Court system. The same question of conflict led District Attorney Dan Blank to request a special prosecutor - Ashland County District Attorney Sean Duffy - to handle the case.
A request will be sent to the Court Administrator to assign an out of county judge to the case. That process should take about a week, according to Duffy.
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Webber pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor counts. He has the right to a preliminary hearing on the felony charges within 20 days of his initial hearing, but he waived the time limit. A preliminary hearing date will be set after a judge has been assigned, Glonek said.
Webber remained free on a $2,000 signature bond with the condition that he have no contact with his alleged victim.
