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.
IIRC I read the abstinence thing was instituted to prevent any possible offspring from inheriting church assets. Certainly the billions and billions in church assets are now locked down in an iron clad, convoluted off-shore scheme beyond the reach of pretty much everyone, so no reason to not let priests marry.