KEARNEY — A felony sexual assault case involving a former Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center employee is moving to Buffalo County District Court after the defendant waived her preliminary hearing.
Tarah Ross, 23, of Sargent, faces one count of second-degree sexual assault of a protected person, a Class IIIA felony. Rather than proceeding with a scheduled preliminary hearing, Ross submitted a written waiver, allowing the case to advance without further review in county court.
District court arraignment is scheduled for July 17 at 9 a.m.
Ross has been released after posting 10 percent of a $20,000 bond.
The probable cause affidavit in the case remains sealed. However, court documents allege Ross subjected a 16-year-old male resident at the Kearney YRTC to sexual contact during a period spanning from late January to April 2025.
The case marks the third criminal prosecution involving a former YRTC-Kearney staff member. Two other former employees, Katrina Fewkes and Martha Ruiz Palacios, are also facing charges stemming from separate allegations of sexual misconduct involving youths at the facility.
