Lake Tahoe man sentenced to 35 years to life for sexually abusing young girls

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Nev. - Lake Tahoe resident Zachary Nance, 36, has been sentenced to at least 35 years in prison for sexual assault and lewd acts he committed with two young girls over several years. In Douglas County court on Monday, Judge Thomas Gregory told Nance his sentence after one of the victims spoke in court, and two grandmothers read other victims' statements.

One victim was sexually abused by Nance from the ages of 8-12, another was 6 years old when he started.

"I have waited 2,712 days for today," said the now teenager who will be mentioned as Victim A. "You took so much from me you stole my innocence, my sense of self, and my voice." Her statement was read in court by Douglas County Deputy District Attorney Chelsea Mazza.

The man they called "Uncle Zachy" took two sisters (Victim A and her older sister) out of foster care under the guise of giving them a better life as their foster parent. Instead, he sexually abused the younger one, and mentally abused and manipulated her sister who was two years older. In court, it was revealed to the public that Nance knew the girls had a very bad living situation with their parents where there was abuse and turned it into an opportunity.

Nance grew up with the girls' mother and they attended Whittell High School at Lake Tahoe. The girls' mother became mentally ill, and Nance told the State of California he felt responsible for what the girls had been through as he introduced their parents to each other.

The girls' mother was turned into Child Protective Services (CPS) by her mother due to their living situation. Since it was the girls' grandmother "Grandma A" who called CPS, the mother had her children put into foster care instead of the grandmother's care.

"You had been their foster parent prior to my becoming so," Grandma A told Nance. "Instead of celebrating her 7th birthday, my granddaughter was trying to rationalize in her 7-year-old mind why you violated her body and mortally wounded her spirit."

Nance became approved to be their foster parent and wanted to adopt them, but Grandma A was able to gain custody.

Nance started showing up at Grandma A's house at bedtime so he could crawl into Victim A's bed which, of course, Lane wouldn't allow him into the house.

Since Nance no longer had access to Victim A, within six months he turned to Victim B whom he sexually abused for four years, starting when she was 8 years old.

Victim B stepped up to the stand with one of the other victims at her side, reading her statement in front of the court, Nance, family, and friends.

"I thought you were my savior," Victim B told Nance. The victim's home life was also very hard when she met Nance at the age of 8.

She told of how Nance forced her to roll play, subjected her to being filmed without clothing, forced her to watch child pornography, and used CPS as a threat to keep her quiet. He kept a gun in the living room, another threat.

"You used every source you had to keep me as a sex slave," said the now-teenager. "Today I am finally free from your torture. You no longer have power over me. I want the world to know how dangerous you are."

Nance pleaded guilty to two Category A felonies - Sexual Assault Against a Child Under the Age of 16 Years of Age (Victim B), and Lewdness with a Child Under 14 Years of Age (Victim A). On the first count, he will serve 25 years to life in state prison without the possibility of parole until 25 years are served, and on the second count, 10 years to life, but no parole until those 10 years have been served. He will serve the two terms consecutively, so the aggregate penalty of imprisonment in the state prison for life with the possibility of parole, with eligibility for parole beginning when a minimum of 35 years have been served.

Nance was arrested in his home on McFaul Way in Round Hill in December 2022. Investigators found evidence in his home and on devices showing ongoing abuse of two girls who once looked up to him as a father figure.

In court on Monday, Nance had a chance to speak to the victims and the judge before sentencing. He said he was depressed, lonely, had mental issues, and said it was a tragedy he didn't get counseling.

"For years I wanted to drop to my knees and apologize for his actions," said Nance in court. "No words for how sorry I am."

Mazza objected to Nance's statements as the victims, their families, and friends listened. She said he was manipulating the court to get what he wanted, and made it about him.

"He is focused on himself and his treatment," said Mazza, not what he should be telling the girls now.

"This will impact them for the rest of their lives," Mazza said of the victims.

When the search warrant was served at Nance's home, investigators found a list of girls near Bijou Elementary, Meyers Elementary, and South Tahoe Middle School. The list had addresses and other information. The El Dorado County Sheriff's Office and South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) talked to all of the families on this list. SLTPD Lt. Scott Crivelli said they spoke to everyone on the list and none of the girls and their families knew Nance, and said they'd had no interaction.

"The community wants protection from him. Things in the home showed more could have suffered," said Mazza of evidence that showed both in-person and online actions.

At this time, no new cases have been uncovered. The victims said they spoke in court in the hopes that others would come forward.

Nance recorded what he did online with young victims, and there are still four hard drives that the federal government has in their possession. Their contents may be prosecuted in the future, bringing Judge Gregory to tell Nance that he may never see the outside of prison for the rest of his life.