Bond increased, charges added for Lincoln man who impersonated high schooler

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - A Lincoln man accused of impersonating a high schooler and sexually assaulting a young teen is now facing additional charges and a steeper bond.

A judge Thursday doubled 26-year-old Zachary Scheich’s bond, from $250,000 to $500,000. Scheich has been in jail since his arrest in July. He’d now have to pay $50,000 to get out of the Lancaster County Jail ahead of his trial.

The bond increase comes with several new charges. Scheich is now facing 15 total felonies with 13 victims listed.

That list includes one count of first-degree sexual assault of a child, five counts of first-degree sexual assault, one count of attempted first-degree sexual assault, one count of sex trafficking of a minor, six counts of child enticement with electronic communication and one count of generation of child pornography.

Scheich could face life in prison. He’ll appear in court again on Sept. 28.

In July, Lincoln Police and Lincoln Public Schools announced Scheich’s arrest at a city library. They said Scheich had enrolled at two LPS high schools during the 2022-2023 school year. Police said Scheich pretended he was 17-year-old Zak Hess and attended 54 days of school at Northwest and Southeast High schools.

Despite Scheich being a graduate of Southeast High School, LPS said nobody recognized him. Parent concerns eventually lead to the arrest and discovery of Scheich’s fraudulent enrollment. LPS said Scheich used false documents and an “elaborate backstory” to enroll.

LPS, responding to the updated charges, praised the victims who came forward and discussed what steps its administration took: “In light of the incident, Lincoln Public Schools conducted meetings and held trainings with the appropriate staff over the summer and put additional measures into place that will confirm the accuracy of information provided by families for students enrolling from outside of Lincoln Public Schools.”

LPS said it won’t get specific on those changes for security purposes.

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