Shortly after a Furnas County District Court jury found 57-year-old William J. “Billy” Quinn guilty of 13 felony counts last month in connection with an ongoing child sex trafficking investigation in Furnas County, his attorney filed a motion for a new trial. On Monday, District Judge David Urbom overruled that motion with the next step in the case being Quinn’s sentencing set for September 15, 2021 at 1:15pm. Quinn was convicted on charges of First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child, Human Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Visual Depiction of Sexually Explicit Conduct among others.
In his defense motion, Attorney Joseph Howard cited such grounds as irregularity in the proceedings by the prosecution or witnesses, that the evidence presented at trial did not support a guilty verdict and irregularity in the proceedings caused by a letter sent by U.S. Sen. Ben Sasses to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland during the trial. In the letter, Sen. Sasse asked for federal assistance in the prosecution of the case.
In his ruling, Judge Urbom found that Senator’s Sasse’s comments did not prejudice Quinn’s rights to a fair trial. Judge Urbom polled the jury twice during the trial on the Sen. Sasse issue. Judge Urbom wrote that only about 2 of the 14 jurors had heard Sen. Sasse’s comments and all assured “that they would not and did not consider Sen. Sasse’s comments during deliberations or let such comments influence their deliberations”
Quinn continues to be held, without bond, in the Furnas County Jail in Beaver City pending his sentencing.
