A Nebraska man who posed as a high school student has been sentenced to at least 85 years. A 27-year-old Nebraska man will serve several decades in prison after reportedly posing as a 17-year-old high school student for about two months in 2023.
According to court records, a Lancaster County judge sentenced Zachary Scheich to between 85 and 120 years in prison last week after Lancaster County attorneys argued that he posed as a teenager in high school to gain access to and exploit underage girls.
Scheich previously pleaded no contest in July to various felony charges, including first-degree sexual assault, attempted first-degree sexual assault, creation of child pornography (age 19 or older), and child seduction with internet contact, according to NBC News.
According to The Independent, Lancaster County District Judge Darla Ideus referred to Scheich as a “significant risk to the community” in court and stated, “The court concludes that the risk is substantial that absent a lengthy period of incarceration, you will prey upon others.”
Scheich will not be eligible for parole for at least 40 years, according to KOLN-TV.
Lancaster County Deputy County Attorney Amber Scholte described the 27-year-old as a “predator of the worst kind” in court, claiming he “targeted, groomed, and lured” teenage girls on social media “under the guise of being their peer, friend, and, in some cases, boyfriend,” according to the source.
Scheich was arrested in July 2023 when the Lincoln Police Department discovered that the then-26-year-old had registered in Northwest High School and Southeast High School during the 2022-2023 school year under the name Zak Hess.
Investigators eventually discovered that he had attended 54 days of school, despite having graduated from Lincoln Public Schools in 2015. During this period, authorities said he contacted female students via electronic devices under his fictitious name and issued an alert to identify prospective victims in the case.
According to KOLN-TV, prosecutors said in court that Scheich used bogus papers to pass himself off as a 17-year-old student and sexually abused many students while doing so.
Another lady, Angela Navarro, 23, was arrested in connection with the crime. According to KOLN-TV, she helped Scheich by impersonating his mother, “Danielle Hess,” and collaborating with Lincoln Public Schools workers to enroll him.
She pleaded not guilty to a $5,000-plus criminal impersonation allegation and was released on bond.
