A Nebraska man preparing to get married was arrested over allegations that he sexually assaulted and restrained a 19-year-old woman who had come to his home to help finalize plans for the ceremony.
Tyler Weber, 33, allegedly assaulted the woman on the eve of his wedding in May, according to a report by Nebraska television station WOWT.
Weber initially denied her account. Investigators subsequently obtained DNA evidence that authorities say connected him to the alleged attack.
Follow @allchronologyHe has now been charged with first-degree sexual assault and first-degree false imprisonment. The allegations have not been proven in court, and Weber is presumed innocent unless convicted.
The woman reportedly attended a gathering at Weber’s home with a small group of people, including her husband. They had assembled to complete preparations for Weber’s wedding, which was scheduled to take place the following day.
What began as a social evening allegedly took a disturbing turn.
The woman told the Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office that Weber repeatedly took hold of her hand whenever he believed her husband was not watching.
As the gathering began to wind down, she reportedly decided that she was too intoxicated to travel home safely. She asked to borrow clothing and planned to remain at the residence overnight.
According to her statement to investigators, Weber followed her upstairs as she went to change.
She alleged that he grabbed her wrist, pinned her near the staircase and forced her onto a couch, where he subjected her to sexual acts without her consent.
The woman said she repeatedly told Weber “No.”
In a particularly striking detail contained in the reported allegations, Weber allegedly paused several times and said that he should not be doing what he was doing because he was getting married the next day.
The woman told investigators that when Weber briefly went to the bathroom, she attempted to send her husband a message saying that “bad things were happening.”
Weber later returned to the couch, according to her account. The woman said she eventually fell asleep and awakened about two hours later amid another confrontation.
Weber’s fiancée had reportedly come downstairs and found the woman asleep while Weber was holding her. The fiancée allegedly began yelling at the 19-year-old.
Follow @allchronologyThe woman then attempted to leave. She claimed Weber repeatedly grabbed her arm and pleaded with her never to tell anyone what had happened.
After she drove home, the woman disclosed the alleged assault to her husband and her father. Her father encouraged her to seek medical attention.
A sexual-assault forensic examination was subsequently performed.
Investigators also obtained a warrant to collect Weber’s DNA in June. Authorities said an initial examination of biological material recovered during the medical procedure revealed two distinct DNA profiles and could not exclude Weber as a contributor.
A more comprehensive analysis was then ordered. The Scotts Bluff County Sheriff’s Office said the additional testing definitively matched Weber.
The forensic examination also documented a small bruise on the woman’s thigh. She had told investigators that Weber bit her in that location during the alleged assault, according to the report.
Weber reportedly permitted investigators to record his arms and torso. No visible marks were found on him, and he later cited that absence as support for his denial that an assault occurred.
A lack of injuries on an accused person does not, by itself, determine whether sexual contact was consensual. Prosecutors will still have to establish every element of the charges beyond a reasonable doubt, while Weber’s defense will have the opportunity to challenge the woman’s account and the interpretation of the forensic evidence.
First-degree sexual assault and false imprisonment are serious felony allegations. The latter charge generally involves intentionally restricting another person’s movement without legal authority, although the precise elements applicable to Weber’s case will be determined under Nebraska law.
Weber was being held at the Scotts Bluff County Detention Center on a $215,000 bond. He was scheduled to return to court on Aug. 15.
Follow @allchronologyThe case now turns on more than the shocking timing of the allegations. Jurors or a judge may eventually be asked to examine the reported hand-grabbing before the encounter, the woman’s attempt to message her husband, the alleged requests for secrecy and the physical and DNA evidence gathered afterward.
For the woman, what was supposed to be an evening spent helping another couple prepare for their wedding allegedly ended with a medical examination and criminal investigation.
For Weber, the hours before his planned marriage instead led to charges that could carry severe and lasting consequences.
No verdict has been reached, and the full evidence has not yet been tested in court.
