Ohio Catholic priest gets life sentence for sex-trafficking convictions

TOLEDO, OH — A Roman Catholic priest received a life sentence Friday for his convictions on five counts related to sex trafficking charges in the sexual assault of three boys whom prosecutors say he met at an Ohio preschool and was forced to pass as adults engage in sexual activities.

The Rev. Michael Zacharias, 56, received concurrent life sentences for counts of sex trafficking of a minor and sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud or coercion. He received a concurrent 20-year sentence for two counts of sex trafficking of an adult by force, fraud or coercion, and one for similar counts of trafficking of a minor.

Prosecutors have said Zacharias “paid the victims to perform sex acts on him, using the victims’ fear of serious harm to coerce their compliance.” They also said the three victims developed serious drug addictions and that the priest “waited to propose commercial sex” until they were heavily involved in drug abuse.

Zacharias has maintained his innocence, saying that no sexual contact took place when the boys were minors and that any sexual contact after they became adults was consensual. He has also said that two of the three received favorable treatment in drug prosecutions in exchange for their cooperation in his case.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo, which placed Zacharias on administrative leave after his arrest in August 2020, said the sentencing “marks another step toward justice for all who have been harmed” by Zacharias’ actions. Following his conviction in May, the diocese submitted a case for Zacharias’s resignation to the Holy See, which will make the final judgment on his status as a priest.