KEARNEY — A Kearney man has been sentenced to more than nine years in prison following a case involving allegations of sexual assault, strangulation, domestic violence, and false imprisonment.
Jason Gundersen, 43, was initially charged with first-degree sexual assault, a Class 2 felony; assault by strangulation or suffocation, a Class 3A felony; first-degree false imprisonment, a Class 3A felony; third-degree domestic assault causing bodily injury, a Class 3A felony; resisting arrest, a Class 1 misdemeanor; obstructing a peace officer, a Class 1 misdemeanor; and criminal mischief involving $500 to $1,499 in damage, a Class 2 misdemeanor.
During a final plea hearing on April 17, Gundersen pleaded no contest to amended charges. As part of the plea agreement, the sexual assault, obstructing a peace officer, and criminal mischief charges were dismissed.
A no-contest plea is neither an admission nor a denial of guilt, but it carries the same legal effect as a guilty plea for sentencing purposes.
At sentencing, Judge Patrick Lee ordered Gundersen to serve three years in prison on each of three counts, along with 180 days on a fourth count. The sentences were ordered to run consecutively, resulting in a combined sentence of nine years and 180 days.
Gundersen was also ordered to serve 18 months of post-release supervision.
The affidavit supporting Gundersen’s continued detention remains sealed. However, a complaint filed in the case alleges that Gundersen subjected an intimate partner to sexual penetration without consent on Sept. 4 at a location along Highway 30 in Kearney.
The complaint further alleges that Gundersen impeded the person’s breathing, restrained the individual, and caused bodily injury.
Court records indicate the case represented Gundersen’s second domestic violence offense. According to the complaint, he had previously been convicted of domestic assault on Sept. 18, 2023.
Gundersen was arrested and booked into the Buffalo County Jail on Sept. 4.
