Zachery "Zach" Nathaniel Anderson was added to the list of sex offenders in Elkhart County after hooking up with a 14-year-old girl he met in the dating app HotorNot.
The 19-year-old Anderson is a computer and internet savvy guy who dreams to make a career out of his love and interest in his technological hobby.
But his life drastically changed after a sweet mistake.
Zach's life turned upside down after he registered to the dating app HotorNot. The young boy met a girl in the app, who lives just across the state line in nearby Southern Michigan.
The girl lied about her age to Zach, saying that she was already 17 years old even though she was only really 14. The two then hooked up and had sexual intercourse. This, of course, was where Zach broke the law. As in accordance with the Michigan Penal Code Act 328 of 1931 Section 750.520e, a person has exhibited a criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree or misdemeanor when "That other person is at least 13 years of age but less than 16 years of age, and the actor is 5 or more years older than that other person."
Zach was given a 90-day jail sentence, a five-year probation, and is now recorded in the Indiana and Michigan sex offender registry for 25 years.
During the court trial of Zach, the girl and her mother were present to say that they didn't believe Zach to be a sex offender. The girl admitted that she lied about her age and gave a letter to Zach and his family stating: "I'm sorry I didn't tell you my age. It kills me every day, knowing you are going through hell and I'm not. I want to be in trouble and not you."
Even with the plea of the girl and her mother, the court still sentenced Zach as a sex offender. Judge Dennis Wiley, who presided over the case, says that he was angry at Zach for using the internet to find a girl.
"That seems to be part of our culture now," Judge Wiley said. "Meet, have sex, hook up, sayonara. Totally inappropriate behavior. There is no excuse for this whatsoever," he added.
The case of Zach was featured on CNN.
