A 27-year-old Nebraska man who posed as a high school student to sexually assault female high school students could spend the rest of his life in prison after being sentenced to between 85 and 120 years in prison.
Zachary Scheich of Lincoln concocted a complicated backstory to pose as a student at two Lincoln high schools he attended last year and even convinced another woman to pose as his mother.
Scheich pleaded guilty to charges of enticement of a minor by electronic communication, generation of child pornography (age 19 or older), attempted first-degree sexual assault and two counts of first-degree sexual assault in July.
Aside from registering under Nebraska’s Sex Offender Act, he will not be eligible for parole for more than 40 years.
Zachary Scheich, 27, posed as a high school student to sexually assault high school students and could spend the rest of his life in prison.
“They didn’t know how to protect themselves from you. Because, again, they thought you were their equal. Their friend. And because you had earned their trust,” Judge Darla Ideus said.
“They knew not to talk to a grown man on social media. They knew not to meet a grown man alone, they knew how to protect themselves from that kind of danger,” Judge Darla Ideus said during the sentencing.
“They didn’t know how to protect themselves from you. Because, once again, they thought you were their equal, their friend. And because you had earned their trust.”
Scheich was arrested in July 2023 when authorities discovered he was posing as a student at both Lincoln Northwest High School and Lincoln Southeast High School under the alias “Zak Hess,” 17.
It was later revealed how he had had inappropriate relationships with students during the 2022-2023 school year.
After creating false documents to lend credibility to his “elaborate backstory,” Scheich attended classes at the schools for a total of 54 days, during which time he sexually assaulted several boys.
Scheich was sentenced to 85 to 120 years in prison and may not be eligible for parole for at least 40 years.
Scheich texted 13- and 14-year-old girls about school sports and classwork, making them believe he was a 17-year-old boy.
Court documents detail how, for months, Scheich texted girls ages 13 and 14, talking about school sports and classwork, making them believe he was 17.
Court documents allege the conversations continued for months and that Scheich even met with the teens’ families, posing as 17-year-old Hess.
Scheich requested — and received — nude photos of a 13-year-old girl, promising money in return.
At one point, investigators said he asked the girl if she wanted to lose her virginity to him.
Following Scheich’s arrest, Lincoln police said at least three more people came forward with their own charges.
“This individual, while appearing to be a high school student, also submitted incredibly well-crafted fraudulent documents as part of school admissions,” explained Dr. Paul Gausman, superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools.
Scheich was arrested in July 2023 when authorities discovered he was posing as a student at both Lincoln Northwest High School and Lincoln Southeast High School.
Lincoln Deputy Police Chief Brian Jackson said Scheich “appeared to have mixed in with other students.”
“This individual provided a birth certificate and a high school transcript, and it turns out that all of them appeared to be fraudulent,” added Matt Larson, LPS Associate Superintendent of Educational Services.
Larson says Scheich’s falsified birth certificate, high school transcript, vaccination records and even a physical exam were extremely convincing.
“This student completed the online enrollment process, submitted the documents online and his parents were not directly involved in the enrollment process, which is not unusual,” Larson said.
Interestingly, Scheich had attended Lincoln Southeast in 2015, but no one who worked at the school recognized him at the time.
Lincoln Deputy Police Chief Brian Jackson said Scheich is 5’4″, 120 lbs and “appears to have mixed in with other students.”
Along with Scheich, Angela Navarro, 23, was also arrested by police in September of last year, after authorities suspected she helped Scheich enroll in the two schools by posing as his “mom.”
Deputy County Attorney Amber Scholte described Schiech as a “predator of the worst kind.”
“He sought them out, groomed them and lured them through social media,” Scholte said. “He did this under the guise of being their colleague, their friend and, in some cases, their boyfriend. And he did it for his own benefit and sexual satisfaction.”
Schiech’s father, Jeff, who is a pastor in Lincoln, addressed his son’s crimes in front of his congregation.
“We heard the strange story that you had been enrolled as a student at LPS last school year. We learned on the news along with you, the extent of the allegations against you, and it is horrifying.”
Jeff Schiech offered prayers “for any and all who may have been injured.”
In addition to Scheich, Angela Navarro, 23, was also arrested by police in September of last year after authorities suspected she helped Scheich enroll in the two schools by posing as his “mom.”
Navarro pleaded not guilty to a single count of identity theft and will be fined $5,000.
