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Richard Piatt ReportingConvicted of child sex abuse in Utah, released after serving his sentence, and now, back behind bars on similar charges in Nebraska.
In Utah, Shane Copeland was listed as a 'high risk' to re-offend as a sex abuser. And now, seven years later, it appears the worst has happened. Copeland has been arrested and charged in Lincoln, Nebraska with three counts of first-degree sexual assault against a child.
Authorities say this case is a prime example why they need to know where convicted sex offenders are and how common re-offenses are.
In this case, three little girls are now new victims of known abuser. Neighbors in Lincoln, Nebraska didn't know 34-year old Shane C. Copeland was someone to worry about, that he might be a child predator. But tonight, Copeland is in the Lincoln, Nebraska jail on a one-million dollar bond. He is charged with sexual assault against three girls, ages 11, nine, and six.
The police chief told Eyewitness News Copeland admitted to having sex with all three girls over an extended period of time. But that's not the first time Copeland has been in trouble for that kind of offense; in fact, he's on the sex offender registry in Utah.
One of those offenses involved a stranger. The other two victims were children of an acquaintance.
The Nebraska sex offender website pinpoints Copeland's residence as adjacent to a public park, and, we learned, near a daycare center. It also lists Copeland as a 'level 3'---a high risk to re-offend based on his convictions in Utah.
Neighbors didn't think they had to worry about sex offenders in their neighborhood, but, as a police officer told our investigative unit, every neighborhood should be aware.
Sgt. Manny Lassig, Salt Lake Co. Sheriff's Office: "You can see from where you sit and how close someone actually lives to you. And they're in every neighborhood."
Officials say Copeland kept on the right side of the law while he was in Utah, but exactly one year ago, he moved to Nebraska, the same time police there suspect the abuse to those three girls started.
Corrections officials say most abuse cases occur from a person the victim knows, and that's true in Copeland's case too.
