COLUMBUS -- A 26-year-old Columbus woman who admitted falsely accusing a Meadow Grove man of sexual assault has been cited by authorities in connection with a May 28 incident.
Columbus Police Investigator Gregory Sealock said Tuesday Janae McMahon has been cited for false reporting after recanting her story of a sexual assault stemming from an encounter with a man she met over the Internet.
The Platte County Attorney’s Office has not yet filed a formal charge in the case.
The county attorney’s office dismissed a first-degree sexual assault charge against 37-year-old Richard Pehrson II late last week after the Meadow Grove man underwent a polygraph examination.
Law enforcement authorities then brought McMahon back in for further questioning after Pehrson’s polygraph exam, and she admitted lying to investigators about the sexual assault accusation.
Pehrson was held for about a week in the Platte County Detention Facility following his arrest earlier this month. His bond was set at 10 percent of $150,000 and he was placed on unpaid administrative leave from his job as a psych tech at Faith Regional Center in Norfolk.
The Class II felony is punishable by a maximum of 50 years imprisonment and a minimum of one year imprisonment.
Deputy Platte County Attorney Sandra Allen said earlier this week she would be writing a letter to officials of the Norfolk hospital informing them that Pehrson has been cleared of the sexual assault charge.
The Meadow Grove man and city woman met over the Internet in early-May and were corresponding by e-mail for three weeks before the May 28 incident.
The two met once previous to the May 28 incident in a public park in Norfolk.
Print This Story
Email This Story
