A Nebraska man who posed as a high school student to exploit minors has been sentenced to life in prison, as reported by KOLN here.

Zachary Scheich, 27, assumed the identity of a 17-year-old named “Zak Hess” for nearly two months at two high schools in 2023. At 5’4” and 120 pounds, Scheich, a 2015 graduate of Southeast High School, successfully passed as a student, enrolling in classes and forming inappropriate relationships with students.

He was arrested in July 2023 after authorities uncovered his real identity. Investigators revealed that Scheich requested explicit content from a 13-year-old girl and sent inappropriate messages to two other minors, ages 13 and 14.

Deputy County Attorney Amber Scholte said Scheich used social media to groom and manipulate the minors, posing as their peer and even as a boyfriend in some cases, calling him “a predator of the worst kind.”

Prosecutors stated that Scheich forged documents and created a false backstory to maintain his disguise. His accomplice, 23-year-old Angela Navarro, was arrested in September 2023 for allegedly helping him by pretending to be his mother, using the alias “Danielle Hess.”

When authorities uncovered Scheich’s deception in June 2023, Navarro continued to maintain their false identities. Scheich received a sentence of 85 to 120 years, with parole eligibility after 41 years, for charges including child enticement and sexual assault. He originally faced nine charges but reduced them through a plea deal.

During sentencing, Judge Darla Ideus remarked on the damage Scheich caused, emphasizing that the minors trusted him because they believed he was their peer.

Navarro, who pleaded not guilty to criminal impersonation, was released on $450 bail, according to a report by the New York Post here.

The crimes cost Lincoln Public Schools $6,000, prompting the district to review its enrollment procedures, KOLN reports.