BRIDGEPORT - A Bayard man is facing a dozen felony charges for child abuse and child sexual assault.

46-year-old James Albrecht faces 10 counts of felony child abuse and one count each of  strangulation and 1st-degree sexual assault of a child.

Albrecht is being held on a half-million dollars bond with a preliminary hearing scheduled for January 8th in Morrill County Court.

Court documents show a Nebraska State Patrol investigation began early last month based on allegations made by a woman who'd fled to a Kearney shelter with her five children

She told investigators the youngest girl said Albrecht had sexually molested her in July and had begun  molesting her younger brother the same way.

All 5 children told investigators stories of Albrecht sexually abusing the girl, withholding food from the 3 oldest children, choking the oldest boy, and placing children in situations endangering their physical or mental health.