Violent Incidents Against Children Spark Outrage, Claims of Soft on Crime Judges

by John Gage

(Photo credit John Gage)

OMAHA – A slew of viral cases involving violence against children in Omaha has raised concerns that more needs to be done to keep criminals off the streets. The cases include a woman who kidnapped and slashed the face of a young boy at Walmart, two men receiving disparate sentences for raping the same child, and a man who allegedly attempted to sexually assault an 11 and 12-year-old in an Omaha park.

All three cases drew national attention, with critics saying that Nebraska’s judicial system is not being tough enough on crime.

The latest incident involved Zachary Vinton, a 34-year-old accused last week of chasing two young girls in an Omaha park and telling them he wanted to have sex with them. Vinton was released from prison on a $20,000 bond – an announcement that brought immediate backlash both from the community and nationally.

On Monday, a local Facebook influencer shared a photo of a house associated with Vinton that had the words “CHILD RAPIST” spray-painted on the outside. Stories posted by local media outlets were filled with comments from people outraged that Vinton was allowed out of jail.

Nebraska comedian Larry The Cable Guy blamed the judge for letting Vinton out, “Nice! Thanks Judge. Now everyone in Gretna with kids has to change their habits and lifestyle to accommodate this morons bad behavior. Way to go, 5 stars.” Even a former reality TV star, Adrianne Curry, weighed in, saying the incident was a result of the “coddling of criminals.”

Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson said the system, not the judge, was to blame for the situation. “The judge is a good judge. It is the system and our laws that needs fixing,” Hanson said in a Facebook post Sunday.

According to the sheriff’s office, Vinton had “engaged in similar activities in the past.” A sworn copy of the affidavit, reviewed by The Plains Sentinel, quoted Vinton’s caretaker saying that he had worked at the Henry Doorly Zoo before being fired for “approaching young females” in an “inappropriate manner.” The document said Vinton has been told to leave establishments in the past over similar behavior.

(Picture from a social media account associated with Zachary Vinton)

The same source told law enforcement that Vinton had been sexually abused as a child, which had resulted in him having “sexual ideations.” Vinton does not appear to have been booked or charged in any other court cases in Nebraska involving his alleged approaches towards minors.

Vinton has been under a court-ordered conservator since he turned 19; and according to statements in court documents, he has been diagnosed with “autism, learning disability, and bipolar disorder.”

Walmart Slasher Raises Call for Legislative Changes

The case that has received the most national attention was Noemi Guzman, who kidnapped and knifed a 3-year-old boy before being shot by Omaha police. The Guzman story was covered by outlets from NBC News to the New York Post.

Following the Walmart slasher incident, Hanson called for state law to be changed in order for the judicial system to have more options to deal with “criminally mentally ill individuals.”

“It’s time to remove the words ‘the least restrictive treatment plan that is in the interest of the defendant and the public’ from our state law,” Hanson said. “Lawmakers need to give judges and prosecutors the ability to have a variety of supervision and custody options to keep innocent people safe from dangerous, criminally mentally ill individuals who refuse to comply with their treatment plans.”

Guzman had a long history of mental health issues outlined in court cases. She has been in and out of court over the years, over accusations of domestic violence and harassment, as well as one conviction for possession of marijuana.

In a 2024 case, she was indicted for reportedly attempting to light her father and his house on fire before entering a Catholic church and vandalizing it. She was later found “not responsible by reason of insanity” a year later.

Now-retired District Court judge Leigh Ann Retelsdorf, who let Guzman off, blamed the same law as Hanson for why Guzman walked free. In an interview with KETV, Retelsdorf said, when dealing with a case of insanity, the court is legally required by the Legislature to give “the least restrictive treatment plan that is in the interest of the defendant and the public.”

Despite this, the judge said she’s been facing the “arrows” of public opinion over the case.

Following the outcry over the attack, Governor Jim Pillen weighed in, saying that the Legislature needed to step in “to strengthen our civil commitment laws.” Pillen pointed to a shrinking regional center infrastructure as part of the problem, which has been noted by local officials, too.

In a June 2025 Flatwater Free Press article, local officials sounded the alarm over the Omaha-area safety net for the mentally ill. In 2024, Douglas County received over 1,000 requests to forcibly hospitalize or medicate people who are dangerously mentally ill. The data shows that only 51 people were committed.

Martha Wharton, an assistant public defender in Douglas County, told the paper that the county mental health board did not have either the resources or the legal authority to keep mentally ill people in treatment. Court documents show Wharton had served as the legal counsel for Guzman prior to the April knife attack.

“The current system is just broke,” Tim Heller, the chair of the state’s behavioral health advisory committee, said. “And nobody wants to take responsibility to fix it.”

‘I Am the Law’

While officials have said that the law, not the judges, was at fault in the Vinton and Guzman cases, another case last month received scrutiny after a judge was accused of giving a lenient sentence to a child rapist.

Judge Rich McGowan sentenced defendant Bradley Perry to 3 years for 1st-degree sexual assault after the co-defendant Eric Bergstrom was sentenced to 30 to 50 years in prison by a different judge on the same charges. Both men were accused and convicted of sexually abusing the same boy.

Following criticism of his sentencing, McGowan told prosecutors, “I am the law.”

Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine told WOWT following the second sentencing that it was “outrageous” for the judge to give what he considered a lenient sentence.

“I have respect for the judiciary, and I know how difficult their job can be. But this is a sentence that is far lower than it should be because it depreciates the seriousness of the crime,” Kleine said. “Every time you show or depict these people, you’re victimizing them again. It’s horrible. And it deserves to be punished severely.”

The case caused a similar backlash online, with one attorney claiming it was an indication of “left-wing” bias in judicial rulings. “Judges are attorneys. Ergo, be careful who you select as [a] judge. Especially in red areas, [where they] pretend to be law & order, until they are not,” Jimmy Hildebrand, a prosecuting attorney, said.

City and County Officials Split On Response

City and county officials appear split on how to respond to crime. Hanson has taken a tough-on-crime stance on the problem that Omaha Mayor John Ewing, as well as Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer, have taken issue with.

Last summer, Schmaderer sent a letter to Hanson accusing him of inflaming the community over what he believed was an encroachment of the sheriff’s department on OPD’s policing duties in the city of Omaha.

Ewing echoed Schmaderer’s sentiments at a recent event where he accused Hanson of leading an “occupying army” into Omaha. Hanson told The Plains Sentinel that he was working “diligently to keep Douglas County Safe” and was doing so “hand in hand with other law enforcement agencies, including OPD.”

Hanson responded to the recent Vinton incident by telling the community the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department would be upping its vigilance. A Plains Sentinel reporter observed a sheriff’s patrol car outside the house associated with Vinton on Monday following his release.

John Gage is the executive editor of The Plains Sentinel.

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