Lighter Sentence for Teen on Sex Offender Registry for 25 Years

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A teen required to register along with some of society’s most reviled criminals after having sex with an underage Michigan girl has partially cleared his name.

Last summer, Zach Anderson, 19, of Elkhart, IN, was ordered on sex offender registries in Michigan and Indiana for 25 years in the internationally sensational case that prompted outrage directed at both the judge and and one-size-fits all sex offender laws.

Anderson was 19 when he had sex with the girl from Michigan’s Berrien County. She was 14 at the time, but admitted she lied about her age when she told him she was 17. The original sentence, imposed by Judge Dennis M. Wiley, also banned Anderson, who planned a career in computer science, from using the Internet for five years. He also served 90 days in jail.

Patch’s Earlier Reports

• Teen Ordered To Register As Sex Offender For 25 Years
• Tens of Thousands Support Teen on Sex Offender Registry for 25 Years
• New Judge Possible for Teen on Sex Offender List for 25 Years
• New Ruling in Teen Placed on Sex Offender Registry for 25 Years
• Teen On Sex Offender Registry for 25 Years Gets Reprieve

Anderson won the right to appear before a new judge, and this week, Berrien County Judge Angela Pasula resentenced him to two years’ probation under Michigan’s Holmes Youthful Trainee Act and said he doesn’t have to register as a sex offender.

The Holmes Act allows first-time offenders between the ages of 17 and 21 to avoid harsher penalties — like a 25-year listing on the sex offender registry — and get a chance to have their records expunged.

Pasula still had harsh words for the teen, and said the new sentence doesn’t condone what he did. A review of Skype conversations between the two clearly demonstrated the girl’s immaturity, the judge said.

And Anderson still faces certain restrictions regarding computer use. He can only use devices with Internet connections for school work.

Anderson’s attorney, Scott Grabel, told Michigan Radio the new sentence removes some of the barriers to employment posed by the original sentence.

“He just wanted the opportunity to do something with his future, and in all due respect, the original sentence took that away from him,” Grabel said. “And I don’t think the punishment fit the crime.”

Grabel also raised questions about sex offender registries in general, saying that in general, they list “a lot of people … that certainly don’t belong there.”

Anderson is still listed as a sex offender in Indiana under Wiley’s original sentence, and Grabel said he will seek his removal from that state’s registry.

I’m happy that Zach finally has chance to get his life back on track.” Grabel wrote on the Justice 4 Zach Anderson Facebook page. “Now it’s time to deal with Indiana and finish what we started.”

» Photo via Justice 4 Zach Anderson Facebook page