Nebraska Teacher Cody Pester, 26, Facing 20 Years In Prison For Dating High School Graduate, 19

LINCOLN, Neb.  — A sixth-grade teacher and high school wrestling coach in southeastern Nebraska has been charged with sexual abuse by a school official after authorities say he entered into an intimate relationship with a former student soon after her graduation.

Cody Pester, 26, of Lincoln was arrested Jan. 26 in Lancaster County on a single count of sexual abuse. According to court records and a probable cause affidavit, Pester and the now-18-year-old woman began exchanging text messages on May 10, 2025 — the day she graduated from Palmyra High School — and developed a romantic relationship by mid-July.

Investigators with the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office say the pair exchanged more than 13,000 text messages between May and August, and that the relationship became sexual during that period. Nebraska law bars teachers and other school employees from engaging in sexual activity with students enrolled in their school or within 90 days of their departure from the school system.

Pester waived his Miranda rights and acknowledged the relationship to investigators, according to the affidavit. Bond was set at $100,000, and he was released after posting a 10% bond.

Palmyra school officials say Pester has been removed from all classroom duties and extracurricular activities while the investigation continues. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.

A court date has been scheduled for March.