Man arrested for sex trafficking after discovering ’17-year-old’ student is actually older.
A Shocking Deception: Man Poses as High School Student, Faces Serious Charges
In a stunning turn of events, a man in his mid-20s has been caught in a bizarre deception scheme that fooled not one, but two high schools. The story, reported by KLKN-TV, unfolds in Lincoln, Nebraska, where 26-year-old Zachary Scheich of Lincoln attended school for 54 days last year, pretending to be a 17-year-old student named Zak Hess.
Scheich’s audacious act began at Northwest High School in October of 2022 before transferring to Southeast High School in January. Shockingly, he had actually graduated in 2015, as revealed by KLKN. Although registered for summer school, he never attended.
The deception came to light when Lincoln police launched a fraud investigation in June after receiving a tip from Lincoln Public Schools. According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Scheich’s arrest on Thursday resulted in charges of two counts of sexual assault using an electronic device and one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
NE: 26-year-old Zachary Scheich who posed as high school student arrested on child sex crime charges.
Enrolled under the name Zak Hess at Northwest High School.https://t.co/73921GTs6Q
— Dalton (@DaltonReport) July 21, 2023
Further investigation, as reported by KETV-TV in Omaha, revealed that Scheich had engaged in texting with minors, using his false identity to manipulate and exploit them. He sent “sexually explicit” messages to a 14-year-old girl and even sent money to a 13-year-old girl in exchange for nude photos.
While Scheich admitted to sending the messages, he denied sexually assaulting any minors. Importantly, all of his contact with minors occurred off school grounds, according to the police.
The shocking question arises: How was a 26-year-old man able to infiltrate a high school? LPS Director of Security Joe Wright explained that not all students have proper documentation, and the school district has a “statutory responsibility” to educate all children under the age of 20. However, this incident has prompted the district to reevaluate their enrollment procedures.
It is crucial to note that Scheich has not been convicted of any crime yet, and there is no conclusive evidence linking him to any harm inflicted on the students at the schools he attended. However, given the circumstances, it is possible that he used the school as a means to further his alleged trafficking scheme.
This alarming incident serves as a wake-up call for parents and school administrators. Child sex trafficking is a real danger that can infiltrate our schools. The recently released movie “Sound of Freedom” sheds light on this sobering reality, and combined with this horrific story from Nebraska, it should ignite a sense of urgency to address this problem.
Parents have a duty to ensure their children’s safety, and school administrators bear the responsibility for their students’ well-being during school hours. The failure of the Lincoln school administrators to properly vet their enrollments put their students in harm’s way.
Child sex trafficking is a pervasive issue that often goes unnoticed. It is imperative that we come together as a society to find solutions and protect our children. The post Police Arrest Man on Sex Trafficking Charges After Authorities Realize ’17-Year-Old’ Student Is Much Older appeared first on The Western Journal.
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