‘We admire the bravery of the victims’: Salem man sentenced for child sex abuse, sodomy

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A Salem man was sentenced on Tuesday after being convicted of sodomy and sexual abuse against children, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office announced.

Marion County Circuit Court Judge Natasha Zimmerman sentenced 45-year-old Armando Marquez-Zacarias to 25 years in prison with a lifetime of post-prison supervision.

The sentence comes after a jury convicted Marquez-Zacarias of first-degree sodomy and three counts of first-degree sexual abuse, the District Attorney’s Office said, noting all counts involved juvenile victims ranging in ages from 9 to 13.

The District Attorney’s Office filed the charges in 2023 after two of the victims reported the incident to authorities and a third victim reported the incident to authorities one year later.

A trial was held on September 17, and after three days of testimony and deliberation, the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on all counts.  

“We admire the bravery of the victims who came forward and are thankful for the hard work of the investigators whose work made this outcome possible,” said Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson.

Chief Deputy Brendan Murphy added, “Child sexual abuse cases are among the most serious and difficult cases that we prosecute; today’s sentence reflects the law’s severity for these crimes and our commitment to protecting children and seeking justice for victims.”