Arnold man accused of abusing a toddler in central Nebraska

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) - An Arnold man accused of abusing a toddler will make his first court appearance later this month.

Bret Samuelson, 41, is accused of committing child abuse, intentionally causing injury in Custer County Court.

An arrest affidavit indicates that on Aug. 20, the Custer County Sheriff’s Office received an intake report regarding potential abuse of a three-year-old who suffered a significant injury to her back.

The intake stated the girl had a tethered spinal cord, and surgery was done in June on the congenital condition.

According to the affidavit, it was discovered there was extensive damage to the hardware placed in the toddler’s back during the previous surgery, and it was believed to be caused by blunt force trauma caused by Samuelson.

The affidavit indicates that Samuelson had gone to the three-year-old’s bedroom for a period of time after she had exited several times. Soon after, a relative had noticed a bump/bulge on the toddler’s back and noticed she was in distress. The injuries did require surgery to repair.

An arrest warrant was issued for Samuelson on Aug. 26, and it was returned two days later.

Samuelson posted a $5,000 bond on Aug. 28 and was released from jail. He will make his first court appearance on Sept. 29.