Boy, 12, admits to rape

A 12-year-old Omaha boy arrested on suspicion of raping a classmate at Omaha's Pinewood Elementary School has admitted to assaulting the girl, according to court documents.

The boy was charged with first-degree sexual assault and made a court appearance Wednesday. A 12-year-old girl told police she was raped by the boy July 2, after he followed her into a restroom at the school.

A police report says the boy told her he had a knife, that he would hurt her if she told anyone. Police have said they do not believe he had a knife.

The boy appeared before Douglas County Juvenile Court Judge Wadie Thomas Jr. on Wednesday and was ordered held at the Douglas County Youth Detention Center at least until his next court appearance.

A date for his arraignment had not yet been set but is expected in the next few weeks.

A check of Douglas County juvenile court records shows the boy has not had any prior serious offenses. Reached at home Friday by telephone, the boy's mother declined to comment.

He was one of 65 students attending summer school at Pinewood, 6717 N. 63rd St., where school district officials said the principal heard from some concerned parents on Friday — the day summer school ended.

“Pinewood Elementary is in the process of reviewing safety procedures and certainly, if necessary, will make any changes necessary prior to the beginning of school in the fall,” said Luanne Nelson, a spokeswoman for the Omaha Public Schools.

Nelson has said Pinewood teachers and staff did not notice anything out of the ordinary on the day the girl says the boy sexually assaulted her.

The girl reported the incident July 4 at Children's Hospital & Medical Center, according to an Omaha police report.

Contact the writer:

444-1279, jason.kuiper@owh.com