Former SHS Assistant Principal Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Assault

A sentencing hearing was held Thursday in Fourth Judicial District Court for a Sheridan man convicted of sexual assault in the second degree. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

Following a two-day trial in District Court this past December, the jury deliberated for less than an hour and came back with a verdict of guilty to the charge of sexual assault in the second degree against Jacob Meyer. On May 6, 2024, Meyer was arrested by the Sheridan Police Department for sexually assaulting a Sheridan High School student. Meyer, at the time he committed the crime, was an Assistant Principal at SHS. The sexual assault occurred at Meyer’s residence on April 19, 2024.

At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, the victim read an impact statement where she said that it haunts her to know that she was being groomed all along and that she didn’t see it at the time because she was an immature, vulnerable teenager. The victim said she continues to struggle with low self-esteem and self-worth issues and that she feels lost in life and like a completely different person since the crime occurred.

Sheridan County and Prosecuting Attorney for the State, Dianna Bennett, said that the two-year mandatory minimum sentence for sexual assault in the second degree was not appropriate due to the defendant not taking responsibility for his actions in the case and recommended a sentence of 3 to 5 years in prison.

District Court Judge Ben Kirven said the facts of the case are troubling to the court and that community trust has been betrayed. Kirven then sentenced Meyer to 3 to 5 years in prison and ordered him to pay $275 in court costs and assessments. Meyer will receive credit for any time that he’s served prior to sentencing.