A Huron school teacher is on unpaid administrative leave and is facing charges after allegedly sending improper messages to a 14-year-old girl.
The catch – investigators say the teen never existed.
According to court records, Zachary Kaderabek allegedly exchanged the messages, including sexually explicit images, under the impression he was speaking with a 14-year-old girl. In reality, those messages were sent by a teenage boy who had made a fake account.
The act of creating a fake online account to deceive someone is commonly known as “catfishing.”
Court documents state the matter began after a 12-year-old girl told a friend Kaderabek had sent her a message via Snapchat that she described as improper. That friend then set up the fake account Kaderabek communicated with.
It is unclear how the catfishing element of this incident might impact the case at trial.
Kaderabek faces four charges of sexual exploitation and solicitation of a minor. Those charges were submitted Nov. 18. These are two class four and class six felonies respectively, and under state law could lead to a maximum combined sentence of 24 years.
Monday night following executive session, the Huron school board unanimously placed Kaderabek on unpaid leave. As of Wednesday, he is still listed as a sixth-grade ESL teacher on the school district website.
He was placed previously on paid administrative leave in mid-November. Kaderabek will formally respond to the charges Jan. 14.
In a statement, Huron superintendent Kraig Steinhoff said “the Huron School District is communicating with its attorney and cooperating with law enforcement. All policies, procedures, and laws are being followed.”