A Roanoke, Virginia, man who pretended to be an Olympic hopeful will spend 28 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a 15-year-old Marquette County girl he met online, according to federal prosecutors. Erich Zeeb, 51, was sentenced last Thursday in federal court after investigators said he posed as an Olympian-in-training to gain the teen’s and her parents’ trust, then coerced her into sending explicit photos and videos.
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey announced the sentence and condemned Zeeb’s actions as “depraved and disgusting,” saying the case should serve as a blunt reminder of how far online predators can reach into families’ lives. Prosecutors say Zeeb groomed the girl, gained her parents’ confidence and pressured her into creating sexually explicit material for the purpose of producing visual depictions, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan.
How Investigators Say He Groomed the Family
Investigators say Zeeb first contacted the teen online in 2012, presenting himself as a serious athlete who could help her chase her own Olympic dreams. Local reporting notes that he gradually ingratiated himself with the family, which authorities say gave him ongoing access and allowed the abuse to continue, as reported by ClickOnDetroit.
Investigation and Sentence Details…