27-Year-Old Nebraska Man Who Posed as High School Student Sentenced to at Least 85 Years Over Sex Crimes

Mar. 15, 2025

Zachary Scheich.Photo:Lincoln Police Dept.

Lincoln Police Dept.

A 27-year-old Nebraska man, who allegedlyposed as a 17-year-old high school studentfor nearly two months in 2023, will spend several decades in prison, according toNBC News.

Scheich previously pleaded no contest in July to several felony charges including first-degree sexual assault, attempted first-degree sexual assault, generation of child pornography — age 19 or over — and child enticement with electronic communication, per NBC News.

Lancaster County District Judge Darla Ideus reportedly called Scheich a “significant risk to the community” in court and said, perTheIndependent, “The court concludes that the risk is substantial that absent a lengthy period of incarceration you will prey upon others.”

Lancaster County Deputy County Attorney Amber Scholte called the 27-year-old a “predator of the worst kind” in court and said he “targeted, groomed and lured” teenage girls on social media “under the guise of being their peer, their friend, and in some cases, their boyfriend,” per the outlet.

The Lancaster County public defender’s office, which represented Scheich, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

Investigators eventually learned that he had attended 54 days of school, despite having already graduated from Lincoln Public Schools in 2015. During this time, police said he had contacted female students on electronic devices using his fake name and had sent out an alert to identify potential victims in the case.

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She pleaded not guilty to a charge of criminal impersonation of $5,000+, and was released on bond.

source: people.com