Homosexual American Catholic priest of Ohio sentenced to life in prison for sex-trafficking boys 

Michael Zacharias, had enabled the victims’ drug addictions by paying them money in exchange for sexual acts, prosecutors said.

By Edward Era Barbacena 

A Roman Catholic priest who had ties to Mansfield and Fremont and was convicted of federal sex-trafficking charges was sentenced Friday to life in prison.

The Rev. Michael Jude Zacharias was convicted at a trial in May of five counts of sex trafficking, two of which involved victims who were minors. The offenses spanned 15 years, from July 2005 to August 2020.

He began his career in ministry as a pastoral intern at Columbus in 1999 before being named associate pastor at Mansfield St. Peter's from July 2002 to July 2007.

Zacharias spent four years in Van Wert, then going to Fremont, where he served St. Joseph and St. Ann parishes from July 2011 to June 2017.

Toledo Bishop Daniel Thomas issued a statement following Friday's court hearing.

"Today's sentencing of Michael Zacharias in federal court marks another step towards justice for all of those harmed by his actions," Thomas said. "As I expressed ... following his conviction, 'The acts of which Rev. Michael Zacharias has been found guilty are reprehensible, morally deplorable and manifestly contrary to the dignity of each human person and the dignity of the priesthood.'"

Further, Thomas said the Toledo diocese, in accord with canon (church) law, has requested the imposition of the penalty of direct dismissal of the clerical state, which would return Zacharias to lay state.

The case has been sent to the Pope, who has the authority to make the final determination concerning Zacharias' status as a priest in the church.

"We are awaiting the response," Thomas said. "With this sentencing and as we await a decision from the Holy See, it is my hope and prayer that healing may continue and justice be restored, as we remain vigilant in confronting evil."

Zacharias' trial took place in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Ohio in Toledo.

He took the witness stand and admitted having sexual relations with several men, but he maintained none of them were under age 18.

A nine-page affidavit said Zacharias "groomed" victims to use their drug addiction as a way to perform sexual acts on them.

In his testimony, Zacharias claimed he never knew the men had drug problems or that the money he gave them would be used to buy illegal drugs.

Following his time in Fremont, Zacharias' last stop was in Findlay, where he served until the federal charges were filed.

Zacharias was taken into custody without incident at his Findlay home on Aug. 18, 2020, by the Northwest Ohio Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.