Michael Zacharias’s victims said the priest waited until they began abusing drugs before he sexually trafficked them
A Roman Catholic priest received a life sentence on Friday for his convictions on five counts related to sex-trafficking charges in the molestation of three boys whom prosecutors say he met at an Ohio preschool and coerced to continue sexual activity as adults.
Michael Zacharias, 56, received concurrent, maximum life sentences for counts of sex trafficking a minor and sex trafficking of a minor by force, fraud or coercion. He received concurrent 20-year sentences for two counts of sex trafficking of an adult by force, fraud or coercion, and one of similarly trafficking a minor.
Even if not, he would have been in a perfect position to steer them in a better direction than drugs, but he chose to degrade them instead. Sins of omission as well as commission.