BREAKING: A federal jury convicted a former Ohio priest on a series of federal sex crimes.
TOLEDO, Ohio - A local priest was convicted Friday on a series of federal sex crime, according to the United States Department of Justice.guilty of all charges against him including five counts sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion. The charges are related to three victims, two of whom Zacharias trafficked while the victims were minors and as adults.
The first victim was allegedly abused as a Catholic school student in Toledo while Zacharias was in seminary school, with Zacharias paying the victim so Zacharias could perform oral sex on him. The relationship continued through adulthood and through Zacharias moving to Van Wert, Fremont, and Findlay, including once when the victim was allegedly paid $1,500 for allowing Zacharias to perform oral sex at the rectory of a parish in Van Wert.
A second victim named in the complaint also told the FBI that he had met Zacharias while a grade school student at a Catholic school in Toledo, with the abuse beginning during the victim’s ninth-grade year. The sex acts performed by Zacharias on the second victim allegedly occurred at the victim’s home in Toledo.
The diocese also encouraged anyone who may have been a victim of abuse to report allegations to law enforcement and to the Diocesan Victim Assistance Coordinator at 419-214-4880. The courage of the victims and their families brought a serial predator’s multiple decades crime spree to an abrupt halt. Fr. Zacharias will never hurt another child as a result of the Justice being served today. This historical case gave voices to kids who have had none.
These crimes occurred shortly before, during and well after all of the US Bishops convened pledging openness, honesty and transparency and the Dallas Charter was enacted in 2001. His crimes span nearly 2 decades.
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