Page 4 - Zacks Future News Today

>> his charge is second-degree sexual assault of a child. theres only two things that the state has to prove, and thats that there was sexual intercourse and that the girl was under the age of 16. people under the age of 16 cannot legally consent to sexual contact or sexual intercourse, and the law is there to protect our kids. but i think as young as the girl is in this case -- and shes very young -- zacks really young too, even though hes treated as an adult because hes 17 years old. >> the pr...

Because i know theres other people in school having sex with people. im just the one that got caught. >> by the time they graduate, an estimated 50% of american high schoolers have been sexually active. but in some states, these encounters are crimes. because the age of consent in wisconsin is 16, the 14-year-old girl couldnt agree to have sex with zack. on top of that, her interviews with police paint a complicated story of that september night. >> how does all this make you feel? >> i feel lik...

>> zacks defense attorney had attempted to negotiate a plea to reduce zacks charge from a felony to a misdemeanor. but the state prosecutor refused. the night before zacks case goes to trial, travis prepares zack and his mother, carrie, for what to expect. >> probably the first or second question the prosecutor is going to ask you is, zack, you had sex with [ bleep ], didnt you? and what is your answer to that? >> yes. >> and because thats the truth, right? >> yes. >> remember one of the things ...

>> he did. he kept talking about it, telling me i was going to be fine. and i kept saying i dont know. and then we walked upstairs to my aunts and he picked me up and carried me to my aunts room. >> was there anything else that he did physically to you during this encounter? >> no. >> i dont have any other questions. >> krcross. >> thank you, your honor. your mom and dad tell you all of the time that theyre very proud of you. >> yes. >> and that makes you feel good. >> yes. >> and you knew when ...

All happened. >> do you think that as a freshman who was kind of in awe of you she might have felt pressured by you? >> she might have but i didnt mean to pressure her at all. >> what did you think when you left? >> that we would continue talking and everything was going to be okay. ten days later the cops showed up at my house. >> you have the right to remain silent. anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. >> they put me in the holding cell for about three hours. i ...

Without a probation officers permission for the rest of his life. he couldnt live within 1,000 feet of where children congregate. in zacks case he would be forced to move into another town. >> if zachary has to move, im going to go with him. i dont know where we would go. i dont want that to happen. but hes my son. >> how do you think hell take it if hes convicted? >> honestly, im afraid he will do something to harm himself. i dont think hell be able to handle it. and his best way out, in his ey...

Her voice. >> my mom and dad are very disappointed in me. i didnt want to make the decision but it kind of happened. >> did he make you feel afraid of him, that you felt like you had to go along. >> kind of. hes kind of a forceful person. kind of pressures and pressures until you finally do something. >> i do feel for her. you know, she was a freshman, he was a popular senior. she didnt want to upset this popular boy. i mean these two barely even interacted in person. and then there they were ha...

Access, r-rated movies or dating without a probation officers permission for the rest of his life. he couldnt live within 1,000 feet of where children congregate. in zacks case he would be forced to move into another town. >> if zachary has to move, im going to go with him. i dont know where we would go. i dont want that to happen. but hes my son. >> how do you think hell take it if hes convicted? >> honestly, im afraid he will do something to harm himself. i dont think hell be able to handle it...

Two years, make it five years but zachary is not a felon. he does not deserve to be on a sex offender list. >> zacks defense attorney had attempted to negotiate a plea to reduce zacks charge from a felony to a misdemeanor but the state prosecutor refused. the night before zacks case goes to trial, travis prepares zack and his mother carey for what to expect. >> probably the first or second question the prosecutor is going to ask you is, zack, you had sex with [ bleep ] didnt you. and what is you...

Assault and that zack did not commit a crime. i respectfully ask for a not guilty verdict in this very serious matter. thank you. >> various witnesses are called to the stand, including the alleged victims mother. to protect her and her daughters identity, were blurring their faces and altering their voices. >> i asked everything, how old he was, how she knew him, how she met him. she told me who he was, that he was a senior in high school. and then i called the police station hysterically cryin...