An Elkhart teen has fighting to get off the sex offender registries in both Indiana and Michigan after having sex with an underage Niles girl who admitted lying about her age has been successful in both states.
Zach Anderson was removed from the Indiana sex offender registry on Friday, Oct. 23, according to The Elkhart Truth.
In March, Anderson pleaded guilty to criminal sexual conduct after he had sex in December with a 14-year-old girl who told him she was 17. He was 19 at the time. The two had met on the over-18 section of the Hot or Not dating app. The girl told Anderson her true age weeks after their encounter.
Berrien County Judge Dennis Wiley first heard Anderson’s case and sentenced him to 25 years on the sex offender registry, 90 days in jail and an additional five years on probation. He was forbidden from using a computer or living in a home where Internet service was available, which meant he had to stop studying computer science at Ivy Tech Community College. The sentence was vacated Sept. 3, though Anderson had already completed the jail time.
Anderson was sentenced to two years probation and granted Holmes Youthful Training Act status during his sentencing hearing on Monday, Oct. 19, in Berrien County, Mich.
Berrien County Trial Court Judge Angela Pasula ordered Anderson removed from the Michigan sex offender registry in September. However, she said he would remain on the Indiana registry during his 2-year probation. Anderson’s attorney said he would appeal to have him removed from the registry.
