Former Gering Teacher Sentenced to Jail

A former Gering Junior High School science teacher involved in an alleged sexting incident with a teenage girl has been sentenced to a year in jail.

District Court Judge Derek Weimer Thursday handed down the sentence for Zachary Boness on misdemeanor charges of Negligent Child Abuse and Disturbing the Peace, reduced in a plea deal last year. He was initially facing felony charges of: Attempted Possession of Child Pornography, Knowingly and Intentional Child Abuse and a misdemeanor of Debauching a Child.

The 32-year-old was arrested January last year following a Nebraska State Patrol investigation in which authorities say Boness anonymously contacted a 16-year-old student via Snapchat requesting a sexting relationship, but she was able to identify him as a teacher and he broke off the conversation after she said she was uncomfortable.

Boness was given one year for the child abuse charge, and the three month sentence for disturbing the peace was ordered to be served concurrently.