Ohio Priest Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sex Trafficking Boys
In a shocking case that has been described as “insidious,” an Ohio priest has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of grooming three boys and taking advantage of their opioid addictions to force them into commercial sex, according to the U.S. Justice Department.
The Rev. Michael Zacharias, a Roman Catholic clergymember, was found guilty of five counts of sex trafficking in allegations that spanned 15 years, from July 2005 to August 2020. Prosecutors said he abused his role as a teacher and priest at a Toledo parish school to groom the three boys into adulthood, force them into sex, and enable their addictions to pain medications and heroin later in life.
“Michael Zacharias used his position as a trusted spiritual leader and role model for young boys and their families to exploit them in the most insidious ways, coercing his victims from childhood and beyond to engage in commercial sex with him,” said Kristen Clarke, the assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, in a statement.
Testimony and evidence at trial revealed that Zacharias developed relationships with the victims’ families when they were young to gain their trust. As the victims got older, he exploited their fears, housing instability, and criminal records to force them into commercial sex.
Zacharias, who was ordained as a priest in 2002, was placed on administrative leave from his role in the Diocese of Toledo and as a pastor at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Toledo following his arrest in 2020.
On Friday, the Rev. Daniel Thomas, the bishop for the Toledo diocese, said in a statement that Zacharias’ life sentence marked another step toward justice. The diocese has requested to dismiss Zacharias under canonical law, but it needs official approval from the Vatican. The diocese is awaiting a response.
The case has sent shockwaves through the community and raised concerns about the exploitation of power and trust by individuals in positions of authority. The sentencing of Zacharias sends a clear message that those who abuse their position to exploit vulnerable individuals will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.