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On Friday, May 12, 56-year-old Ohio native, Reverend Michael J. Zacharias, was convicted and declared guillty for five counts of s*x trafficking. Zacharias was found guilty of one count of s*xual trafficking of a minor, two counts of s*xual trafficking of a minor by force, fraud, or coercion, and two counts of s*xual trafficking of an adult by force, fraud, or coercion.
The priest, who served under St. Michael The Archangel Parish in Findlay, was arrested in 2020 for allegations that spanned 15 years, from 2002 to 2017. Zacharias now faces 15 years of life imprisonment with mandatory restitution.
Trigger Warning: This article mentions instances of s*xual abuse. Readers' discretion is advised.
Rev. Michael J. Zacharias' abuse of minors allegedly spanned four decades
Zacharias began his career in the ministry as a pastoral intern for St. Catherine Parish in Columbus. He served there from 1999 to 2000, after which he became associate pastor at St. Peter Parish, Mansfield, in 2002.
In 2007 he was appointed as the pastor of Van Vert's St. Mary of the Assumption Parish. He served here for five years before moving to St. Joseph and St. Ann parishes in Freemont. In 2017, he was re-assigned to St. Michael The Archangel Parish, where he served until his arrest.
A press release by the FBI claimed that the priest had engaged in unlawful s*xual conduct with minors since the 90s. Court documents allege that he targeted two boys attending Catholic Schools in Toledo. These boys had drug problems and were taken advantage of by Zacharias, who offered them money for drugs in exchange for performing s*xual acts.
His first victim, a Toledo Catholic school student, went through abuse from Zacharias when the priest was in Seminary school. This abusive relationship continued even as the victim became an adult and Zacharias shifted across multiple parishes.
The priest recorded several videos with this individual. Some videos contained footage of the priest engaging in s*xual acts with the victim. Other recordings were confession videos, in which Michael J. Zacharias was seen dressed in his Priest attire, confessing to grooming and participating in s*xual acts with the victim.
Another victim informed the FBI that his cycle of abuse by Zacharias started when he was a ninth Grade Catholic school student in Toledo. This individual was s*xually abused by the priest in the confines of his own home.
Zacharias is said to have started grooming minors for commercial s*xual acts by taking advantage of both his position as a priest and the boys' dependence on drugs. He managed to integrate a level of trust into his victims. These individuals feared losing a trusted father figure, their relationship with God, and facing opioid withdrawal, eventually submitting to the perverted priests' coercions.
Michael J. Zacharias admitted to engaging in s*xual acts with several men but claimed that none were under 18.
“He robbed them of their childhood": Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke
In a statement, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said that Zacharias' actions betrayed the victims in an extremely inhumane way. He said:
"He robbed them of their childhood, their dignity, and their faith."
On learning of the Rev. Michael J. Zacharias' arrest, the Bishop of the Diocese of Toledo, Daniel Thomas, placed him on administrative leave. Now that the verdict is out, the diocese is free to present the priest in front of the Holy See, which will then determine his status as a priest.
In a statement put out by the Diocese of Toledo, Bishop Daniel Thomas asserted:
“The acts of which Rev. Michael Zacharias has been found guilty are reprehensible, morally deplorable, and manifestly contrary to the dignity due to each human person and the dignity of the priesthood."
He further states that the Church will not tolerate such behavior and takes s*xual abuse and misconduct on the part of a priest extremely seriously. He remarks that even after the efforts of the Church to provide a safe environment, protect children and maintain the sanctity of priesthood:
"Still, sometimes, evil has its way. Our society and Church together must bring evil into the light, wherever it is found.”
Even though Rev. Michael J. Zacharias is still a priest, he is not allowed to administer any sacrament, participate in public priestly ministry, wear clerical attire, or publically be presented as a priest. According to the code of Canon law, the Holy See will decide the future of his priesthood.
