Adult sex offender who enrolled in high school to find victims gets huge prison sentence

26-year-old had at least 43 victims, some as young as 13

A man who lied about his age and infiltrated high school classes to abuse dozens of minors could easily spend the rest of his life in prison.

Zachary Scheich, now 27, pleaded no contest to child luring by electronic communication, generating child pornography (19 or older), two counts of first-degree sexual assault and attempted first-degree sexual assault, Lincoln, Nebraska’s KOLN reports. He was sentenced to 85-120 years in prison.

The suspects’ confessions were part of a deal with prosecutors, who dropped other charges.

Lincoln police told local media that Scheich posed as a 17-year-old student at one school for two months before being transferred to another school for more than 50 days, using the same name at both schools.

Judge Dara Ideus, in explaining the lengthy sentence, said the fraudulent registration was an “elaborate scheme” to give Scheich access to children for sexual exploitation, the state’s Grand Island Independent reported.

According to the judge, Scheich poses a “significant” risk to the community because of the deliberate circumstances of the crime, the Omaha World-Herald reported.

“They knew not to talk to a grown man on social media. They knew not to meet a grown man themselves. They knew how to defend themselves from that kind of danger,” Ideus told Scheich as he handed down the sentence. “Sir, they didn’t know how to protect themselves from you. Because they thought you were their equal. Their friend. And because you had earned their trust.”

Scheich must serve at least 41 years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. He must also register as a sex offender, KOLN reported.

Scheich’s father, Jeff Scheich, a pastor at a church in Lincoln, said he and his wife were “shocked” when they first heard about the allegations. “Our prayers are with anyone who may have been injured,” they said in a statement.

Police said Scheich used his slim build of 5 feet 4 inches and 110 pounds to stand out among students, Fox News reported.

According to local broadcaster KETV Omaha, he allegedly sent sexually explicit messages to a 14-year-old female student in February and March 2023 and encouraged a 13-year-old female student to send him nude photos for which she was paid.

Assistant District Attorney Amber Schlote called Scheich “a child predator of the worst kind,” the Grand Island Independent reported. “He was, simply put, a master manipulator and predator,” she said, adding that the fake teen had at least 43 victims.

Scholte asked for a long sentence because Scheich was fully aware of the seriousness of his crimes. She thanked those who came forward to stop Scheich.

“Because of your courage, the suspect was stopped and other innocent children were spared the same fate,” she said, according to the World-Herald. “That’s why you are heroes.”

Police said Scheich texted some of the girls for months and even met their parents, the Independent reported.

Police say an investigation began in June 2023 after receiving reports of someone posing as a student. The ensuing investigation revealed Scheich was 26 and had graduated from high school in 2015.

“Ongoing investigation led to the discovery of multiple contacts with juvenile students by Scheich under the false name Hess, which provided sufficient information to serve as an arrest warrant,” a statement from the Lincoln Police Department said.

The district admits that none of the documents Scheich used to register online have been verified, NBC News reported.

“We are taking the students’ words for these documents. We are already reviewing our enrollment processes,” Matt Larson, Lincoln Public Schools’ assistant director of educational services, told NBC.

In a question-and-answer session, the district said it had obtained fraudulent copies of Scheich’s birth certificate, immunization records, medical exams and transcripts. The district maintains it followed all state and federal laws regarding enrollment.

“This is a very serious situation and we are concerned that this has happened. When we learned that an adult was impersonating a student, we turned it over to law enforcement to begin an investigation,” said Dr. Paul Gausman, superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools.

Criminal impersonation charges are still pending against Scheich’s alleged accomplice, Angela Navarro, 23. Police say she posed as his mother to promote the enrollment program.