Court News, (Central Nebraska Today)
FRANKLIN — A former Franklin Public Schools football coach accused of having an alleged sexual relationship with a student has pleaded not guilty in district court.
Anthony Campana, 37, has been charged with first degree sexual abuse by a school employee, a Class 2A felony, first degree sexual assault of a child, a Class 1B felony, two additional counts of first-degree sexual abuse by a school employee, a Class 2A felony and manufacture visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct, a Class 1D felony.
Campana waived his right to arraignment in district court and submitted a written plea of not guilty to the charges. According to court records, a hearing has been scheduled for May 9.
Campana had been employed with Franklin Public Schools as a high school football coach and paraprofessional.
According to an affidavit submitted in Franklin County Court, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by a parent who wanted to report that their 16-year-old daughter had a much older boyfriend.
A deputy responded to the parent’s workplace where they located Campana in the vehicle with the 16-year-old.
The 16-year-old told law enforcement that she and Campana had been communicating since she was 14 and they had become sexually active after she turned 16.
At the time, Campana was cited for contributing to the delinquency of a minor and released pending further investigation.
He was later arrested for the initial felony charge on Jan. 9 and booked into jail.
According to the new complaint, regarding the first-degree sexual assault of a child charge, it alleges that Campana between Oct. 7, 2023, and Sept. 25, 2024, subjected a minor under 16 to sexual penetration.
The sexual abuse by school employe charges allege that Campana, a school employee, subjected the minor to sexual penetration at Drop Tyne Lodge, his vehicle and his rental house between Sept. 26, 2024, and Jan. 6, 2025.
The last charge states that between Oct. 7, 2023, and Jan. 6, 2024, Campana allegedly created a visual depiction of the sexually explicit conducted with a child.
