A fourth person has been arrested as part of an ongoing multi-state investigation led by the Bennington Police Department into the reported sexual assault of a child.
According to the Bennington Police Department, 54-year-old Sharon Jones, also known as Sharon Hoffman, was booked into the Douglas County Jail on July 1 after a Douglas County District Court judge issued a no-bond felony arrest warrant. She is currently charged with tampering with a witness, pending a Class II or higher felony.
Jones’ arrest follows three others made over the past week as investigators continue to pursue the case.
On June 28, Bennington residents Joseph Michael Thomas Bruce, 39, and Lindsey Kay Smith, 39, were arrested on felony warrants stemming from the investigation. Both remain in the Douglas County Jail on $2 million bond and are charged with accessory to a felony, child abuse, and tampering with a witness or informant.
Two days later, authorities arrested 34-year-old Alec Jones in Elk River, Minnesota. He remains in custody in Minnesota awaiting extradition to Nebraska. Court documents charge him with first-degree sexual assault of a child, first-degree sexual assault of a child between the ages of 12 and 15, third-degree sexual assault of a child, and tampering with a witness.
The investigation began after a report was made to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline regarding the alleged sexual assault of a child. Police have said the investigation spans multiple states and remains active, with additional charges and arrests still possible.
According to information released by investigators and reported by other media outlets, police allege Bruce and Smith learned of the abuse and took steps to stop it from continuing. However, investigators also allege the couple attempted to protect the accused relative rather than immediately reporting the allegations to law enforcement. Police claim Bruce and Smith presented the alleged victim with two options: report the abuse to authorities and potentially testify in court, or accept $100,000 from the alleged abuser as a way to help the victim heal. Those allegations have been made by investigators and have not been proven in court.
The Bennington Police Department credited numerous agencies for assisting with the investigation, including the Elk River Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service, Nebraska State Patrol, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Douglas County Attorney’s Office, Johnson County (Kansas) Sheriff’s Office, Sarasota County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office, and Minnesota law enforcement agencies.
Authorities have not released additional information about the alleged victim, and the investigation remains ongoing.
