Platte County prosecutors dismiss sex crime charges against former Northland resident

Platte County authorities announced Wednesday they have dismissed statutory sodomy charges against a 28-year-old man accused of abusing a Dearborn girl.

Anthony L. Paden of Bellevue, Neb., was charged with two counts of first-degree statutory sodomy. His father, Darren Paden, recently was sentenced to 50 years in prison for sex crimes involving the same victim.

Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd said his office made the decision this week to dismiss the criminal charges against Anthony Paden after consulting with the victim about her desire to avoid the ordeal of additional court proceedings.

The criminal charges could be refiled at any time within 30 years of the victim’s 18th birthday.

Zahnd declined further comment because the criminal case has been closed.

According to allegations in court records, Anthony Paden began sexually abusing the girl when she was 10 years old after he learned that his father had repeatedly assaulted her. The abuse allegedly continued for several months. In exchange, he took the victim swimming and granted her other “privileges,” according to court records.

Darren L. Paden, 52, pleaded guilty in August to two counts of sodomy. Authorities said the former volunteer firefighter and military veteran abused the girl at least 200 to 300 times over a decade, starting before she turned 5 years old.

The criminal case sharply divided Darren Paden’s hometown of Dearborn, a small Northland community. The victim said she felt ostracized and was branded a liar by some in the community.

This story was originally published November 25, 2015 at 12:16 PM with the headline "Platte County prosecutors dismiss sex crime charges against former Northland resident."