A man from Nebraska, who pretended to be a high school student and committed sex crimes, is referred to as the "worst kind of predator."

A man from Nebraska who pretended to be a student and committed sex crimes at two high schools in Lincoln has been sentenced to 85 to 120 years in prison, with a prosecutor describing him as a "worst-kind predator."

Zachary Scheich, a 27-year-old who posed as a 17-year-old student named Zak Hess, will not be eligible for parole for more than 40 years and will also have to register as a sex offender as part of his punishment, according to KOLN. He was arrested in July 2023 after attending around 54 days of classes at Northwest High School and Southeast High School, officials said at the time.

At a sentencing hearing this week, Deputy County Attorney Amber Scholte stated that Scheich's behavior made him a "predator of the worst kind, the kind that preys on children." Scheich pleaded no contest to multiple counts of sexual assault and other charges.

"Scholte stated that the perpetrator used social media to target, groom, and lure victims under the guise of being their peer, friend, and in some cases, their boyfriend. The perpetrator did this for their own sexual satisfaction."

KOLN reports that Scheich was charged with crimes that took place off school grounds, but prosecutors claim he sexually assaulted several children and caused the school district to lose over $6,000 by creating fake documents and a detailed backstory to present himself as a high school student.

"Judge Ideus informed Scheich during his sentencing on Wednesday that the defendants were aware not to communicate with an adult male on social media or meet one alone, but they did not know how to safeguard themselves against you because they believed you were their equal, a friend, and someone they could trust."

In June 2023, the Lincoln Police Department commenced their investigation after discovering that someone was pretending to be a student named Zak Hess in Lincoln Public Schools.

"During the 2022-2023 school year, Hess was initially enrolled at Northwest High School before transferring to Southeast High School. It was later discovered that he had graduated from Lincoln Public Schools in 2015."

The suspect, who is 5'4" and weighs 120 pounds, was mistaken for a teenage student during an investigation, despite being 26 years old.

"The Lincoln Police Department announced that an arrest warrant was issued after a thorough investigation revealed that Scheich had been in contact with juvenile students under the alias Hess."

According to KOLN, Angela Navarro, 23, was arrested and accused of pretending to be "Danielle Hess," the mother of Zak, to help Scheich enroll in Lincoln Public Schools.

She has pleaded not guilty to a criminal impersonation charge.

Planet Chronicle’ Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report.