Zach Anderson is a 19-year-old from Elkhart, Indiana. He graduated from high school a year ago and was aspiring to go into computer science. Like an increasing number of people throughout the years, Zach joined a dating app - this one by the name of Hot or Not. He began talking to a 17-year-old woman off the site, whom he decided to meet. She lived about 20 miles away from Zach, in Niles, Michigan, where Zach picked her up and the two of them wound up having intercourse. Unfortunately for Zach, the person he picked up and had sex with was only 14-years-old, her mother had called the police about her disappearance, and he had to spend 90 days in jail as a result, not to mention will be a registered sex offender for the next 25 years (http://abcnews.go.com/US/19-year-spend-25-years-registered-sex-offender/story?id=32783206 and http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/03/us/dating-app-sex-offender-registry/).
The 14-year-old girl who lied about her age on the dating app, now 15, and her mother both testified on Zach's behalf in court, with the mother even going so far as to say this:
"I don't want him to be a sex offender because he really is not."
The now 15-year-old girl added, "I feel nothing should happen to Zach."
In addition to the 3 months Zach Anderson spent in jail and having to be registered as a sex offender for the next 25 years, he'll now be unable to go forward with his computer-science aspirations, as he's now forbidden to use the Internet. Not only that, but he'll be prohibited from visiting public parks and even from living at his parents' place since he has a 15-year-old brother that lives there.
While we can debate all we'd like on hook-up dating sites and whether or not Zach Anderson should have been charged with the misdemeanor crime of distributing to the delinquency of a minor, he should not be a registered sex offender and shouldn't have had all his ambitions crushed as a result. There was no evidence to suggest this was part of a trend for Zach. The girl admitted to lying about her age, Zach stated (and without any evidence to the contrary) that he wouldn't have met up with the 14-year-old if he had known her actual age, and the girl and her very own mother even testified before court on Zach's behalf, both saying he shouldn't have to register as a sex offender.
There's a stark difference between an older man notorious for molesting underage individuals and a 19-year-old man having consensual sex with a woman he thought to be 17, but was in fact 14. Parents rightly fear for their kids' health and well-being around the former individual, but that's not the case with the latter. When a 14-year-old girl's mother tells a judge in a court of law that the 19-year-old man who had sex with her daughter shouldn't be registered as a sex offender, I think that's the strongest possible proof that the man in question shouldn't have to register as a sex offender. Zach Anderson's future shouldn't be destroyed due to this isolated occurrence, and the now 15-year-old girl and her mother shouldn't have to feel excruciating guilt for the rest of their days for it either. Sex offenders should never be taken lightly, but Zach Anderson isn't a sex offender and shouldn't be labeled as such. If you feel similarly, sign this petition, and spread word about this story. The more people that find out about it, the better - https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=petition%20zach%20anderson
You can also find out more ways to donate and provide help for this cause here -
https://www.facebook.com/zig19
UPDATE (9/8/15): It was just announced that Zach Anderson's original sentence has been voided by another judge. It's unknown at this time what Zach's ultimate fate will be, but he will be re-sentenced by a different judge than the one whom sentenced him initially. So while it's still possible Zach could wind up on the sex offender registry, there is some hope that ruling will get reversed.
UPDATE (9/11/15): It's now official; Zach Anderson will be removed from the sex offender registry! Judge Angela Pasula announced this very news today. She also said he'd be allowed to use the computer for school and work. Thank you, Judge Pasula, for allowing this young man to continue chasing his academic and professional goals and not allowing this one unfortunate occurrence to dominate and destroy his life.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/08/us/dating-app-sex-offender-registry/index.html
http://www.fox28.com/story/30009984/2015/09/11/judge-will-order-zach-anderson-to-be-removed-from-sex-offender-registry
The 14-year-old girl who lied about her age on the dating app, now 15, and her mother both testified on Zach's behalf in court, with the mother even going so far as to say this:
"I don't want him to be a sex offender because he really is not."
The now 15-year-old girl added, "I feel nothing should happen to Zach."
In addition to the 3 months Zach Anderson spent in jail and having to be registered as a sex offender for the next 25 years, he'll now be unable to go forward with his computer-science aspirations, as he's now forbidden to use the Internet. Not only that, but he'll be prohibited from visiting public parks and even from living at his parents' place since he has a 15-year-old brother that lives there.
While we can debate all we'd like on hook-up dating sites and whether or not Zach Anderson should have been charged with the misdemeanor crime of distributing to the delinquency of a minor, he should not be a registered sex offender and shouldn't have had all his ambitions crushed as a result. There was no evidence to suggest this was part of a trend for Zach. The girl admitted to lying about her age, Zach stated (and without any evidence to the contrary) that he wouldn't have met up with the 14-year-old if he had known her actual age, and the girl and her very own mother even testified before court on Zach's behalf, both saying he shouldn't have to register as a sex offender.
There's a stark difference between an older man notorious for molesting underage individuals and a 19-year-old man having consensual sex with a woman he thought to be 17, but was in fact 14. Parents rightly fear for their kids' health and well-being around the former individual, but that's not the case with the latter. When a 14-year-old girl's mother tells a judge in a court of law that the 19-year-old man who had sex with her daughter shouldn't be registered as a sex offender, I think that's the strongest possible proof that the man in question shouldn't have to register as a sex offender. Zach Anderson's future shouldn't be destroyed due to this isolated occurrence, and the now 15-year-old girl and her mother shouldn't have to feel excruciating guilt for the rest of their days for it either. Sex offenders should never be taken lightly, but Zach Anderson isn't a sex offender and shouldn't be labeled as such. If you feel similarly, sign this petition, and spread word about this story. The more people that find out about it, the better - https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=petition%20zach%20anderson
You can also find out more ways to donate and provide help for this cause here -
https://www.facebook.com/zig19
UPDATE (9/8/15): It was just announced that Zach Anderson's original sentence has been voided by another judge. It's unknown at this time what Zach's ultimate fate will be, but he will be re-sentenced by a different judge than the one whom sentenced him initially. So while it's still possible Zach could wind up on the sex offender registry, there is some hope that ruling will get reversed.
UPDATE (9/11/15): It's now official; Zach Anderson will be removed from the sex offender registry! Judge Angela Pasula announced this very news today. She also said he'd be allowed to use the computer for school and work. Thank you, Judge Pasula, for allowing this young man to continue chasing his academic and professional goals and not allowing this one unfortunate occurrence to dominate and destroy his life.
http://www.cnn.com/2015/09/08/us/dating-app-sex-offender-registry/index.html
http://www.fox28.com/story/30009984/2015/09/11/judge-will-order-zach-anderson-to-be-removed-from-sex-offender-registry
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