St. Mike's alum could testify against ex-priest

A former St. Michael the Archangel Catholic pastor, charged with sex trafficking of children and adults, made an inappropriate comment to an eighth-grade Findlay student in 2018, a court document alleges. Michael J. Zacharias, 56, is scheduled for trial on May 2 in U.S. District Court in Toledo on two charges that he used force, fraud and coercion to get a minor to engage in paid sex acts; and three charges that he used force, fraud and coercion to get an adult to engage in paid sex acts. Zacharias, who was pastor at St. Michael's from 2017 to 2020, is alleged to have sex trafficked minors he first met while they were students at a Toledo Catholic school where he was previously employed. The charges allege that there were three male victims. Zacharias is alleged to have preyed upon boys, and later men, who needed money for their drug addictions. One person was allegedly sex trafficked as a minor from July 2005 to July 2006, and then as an adult from July 2006 to August 2020. A second person was allegedly sex trafficked as a minor from May 2010 to June 2012, and then as an adult from June 2012 to December 2013. A third was allegedly sex trafficked as an adult from September 2008 to August 2020. Possible local witness U.S. attorneys intend to call the former St. Michael student as a trial witness to testify that Zacharias engaged in inappropriate conversation with him in 2018 just as he did with the victims. As head priest at St. Michael's, Zacharias consistently put the eighth-grader and his brother on the altar server schedule more than any other students, telling him it was because they were his "favorites," the court document states. The student, who was preparing a research paper on St. Teresa of Avila, asked in the office if anyone could help him. Zacharias then reached out to the boy, volunteering to help, saying he had studied St. Teresa and knew some facts about her, the court document states. "The two met alone in (Zacharias') parish office connected to the church, and the office door was closed," the court document states. "While sitting next to him, (Zacharias) pulled up a zoomed-in image of Saint Teresa's face on his computer to show the youth, commenting, 'Oh, it looks like she's having a female orgasm.'" U.S. attorneys said the youth will testify that this "immediately made him feel weird, awkward, and queasy, and that he began sweating in his discomfort." A tense awkward silence followed, and the eighth-grader did not know how to respond, the court document states. "(Zacharias) then tried to clarify that he meant it as a spiritual expression," the document states. The boy "left right after the interaction and also disclosed this encounter to his parents, who then reported it to the school. Although (the boy's) mother does not know if this instance was addressed with (Zacharias), he did not make another attempt with (the eighth-grader) after that, nor did he mention the incident to him again." Incident in Fremont Before coming to Findlay, Zacharias, as head priest at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Fremont, referred to another eighth-grade altar server as his "favorite," the court document states. Zacharias counseled the boy while his parents were divorcing, inviting him to the parish rectory where they talked alone in Zacharias' living room. Zacharias randomly offered the boy various amounts of cash and gift cards, the court document states. Zacharias "would make comments to (the boy) while giving him money and gift cards, saying things like 'I need to take care of my little (boy's name),'" the document states. The boy "did not believe that (Zacharias) gave money to any of (the boy's) other friends at the parish, and in fact they teased (the boy) about it," the court document states. "(Zacharias) also sometimes commented on (the boy's) looks, often hugged him, kissed his cheek, and told him he loved him. (The boy) did not initiate affection with (Zacharias) and recalls that it made him feel awkward." Zacharias "also gifted (the boy) with rosaries he said had been blessed by the pope, exactly as he had with two of the named victims in this case, and also offered to pay for (the boy) to travel to Rome if the parish ever went," the document states. Zacharias "would also ask (the boy) about his sexual relationships with girls when (the boy) was in high school, and admonished him to make sure that he was being 'safe,' a line of conversation he often engaged in with each of the named victims in this case as well," the court filing states. U.S. attorneys say the testimony of the boys from St. Michael and St. Joseph will show Zacharias' "common plan, preparation and motive in grooming minor boys for potential sexual abuse and exploitation. The evidence also corroborates the named victims' testimony, who all will testify to experiencing similar conversations with and grooming behaviors by (Zacharias)."