Man, 27, gets up to 120 years in prison for enrolling in high school, committing sex crimes against girls as young as 13

A 27-year-old Nebraska man was sentenced to up to 120 years in prison for fraudulently enrolling in high school and then committing sex crimes against girls as young as 13.

Judge Darla Ideus sentenced Zachary Scheich to 85 to 120 years in prison Wednesday. In July, Scheich pleaded no contest to five felonies, including two counts of first-degree sexual assault, attempted first-degree sexual assault, child enticement, and generation of child pornography. Scheich previously faced nine felony charges, but they were reduced as part of a plea deal.

'Predator of the worst kind.'

Scheich also will be required to register as a sex offender. He will be eligible for parole in 41 years.

“They knew not to speak with an adult male on social media, they knew not to meet an adult male by themselves, they knew how to defend themselves against that kind of danger,” Judge Ideus told Scheich during his sentencing, according to KOLN-TV. “They did not know how to protect themselves against you. Because again, they thought you were their peer. Their friend. And because you gained their trust.”

As Blaze News previously reported, Scheich attended 54 days of high school during the 2022-23 school year.

Scheich reportedly enrolled at Northwest High School and then transferred to Southeast High School — the school from which he graduated in 2015. He also allegedly enrolled in summer school but never attended.

Police said Scheich was able to enroll in the high schools by providing Lincoln Public Schools with a fraudulent birth certificate and immunization records. Scheich used a fake name, Zak Hess, to enroll in the high schools.

Scheich — who stands at 5'4'' and weighs 120 pounds — presented himself as a 17-year-old. He apparently "blended in with other students," Lincoln Police Assistant Chief Brian Jackson stated.

While attending high school, Scheich allegedly began initiating relationships with underage girls and even met families.

Scheich had sexually explicit conversations with 13- and 14-year-old students, according to court documents. He purportedly sent sexual text messages to female students and asked one girl for “pornographic material,” according to an arrest affidavit.

Prosecutors said Scheich sexually assaulted multiple underage victims.

Deputy County Attorney Amber Scholte during his sentencing called Schiech a “predator of the worst kind," KOLN reported.

“He targeted, groomed, and lured them via social media,” Scholte said. “He did so under the guise of being their peer, their friend, and in some cases, their boyfriend. And he did so for his own sexual purpose and gratification.”

Scheich reportedly enlisted the help of 23-year-old Angela Navarro to pose as his mother and help get him enrolled in high school.

Navarro posed as “Danielle Hess,” Zak’s mother, and worked with Lincoln Public Schools staff to get Scheich into high school, according to her arrest affidavit.

Police arrested Navarro in September 2023. Navarro pleaded not guilty to a charge of criminal impersonation of $5,000+, a class III felony. The fake enrollment reportedly cost the Lincoln Public Schools district more than $6,000.

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