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Friday, June 23, 2017

5 Years For Ex-Karate Instructor

OCEAN CITY — A Salisbury martial arts instructor who pleaded guilty to sex abuse of a minor in March in both Worcester and Wicomico Counties was sentenced last week in Worcester to 15 years with all but five years suspended.

Last October, Zachariah Bennett, 26, of Salisbury, was indicted by a Wicomico County grand jury on 29 total counts including first-degree rape for his alleged illicit activities involving minors while employed as an instructor at Mitchell’s Mixed Martial Arts in Salisbury. In November, a Worcester County grand jury indicted Bennett on five total counts ranging from sexual abuse of a minor sexual abuse of a minor to second-, third- and fourth-degree sex offenses stemming from similar incidents at an Ocean City amusement park last August.

Over the course of two days last fall, Bennett pleaded guilty in Worcester County Circuit Court to one count of sexual abuse of a minor and a pre-sentence investigation and mental health assessment were ordered.

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11 comments:

Anonymous said...

His future is ruined. He will be labeled a sex predator for life, and he will be lucky to get a job as a janitor or laborer after this.

Anonymous said...

Can't wait to see what this lowlife scum and his accomplice get in Wicomico county. Can't believe Mitchell's martial arts has not been shut down Or why people send their kids there. I do feel sorry for his fiancé and his unborn child.

Anonymous said...

Good god why would she still be engaged to a child
Molester???

Anonymous said...

Wow...only 5 years, but yet they give drug dealers and thieves triple that. The judicial system is sending out the wrong message

Anonymous said...

12:09...he will be a sex predator the rest of his life. He'll also have a job in the lockup. He will return shortly after his release.

Anonymous said...

5 years could be a life time, considering what they do to child molesters and sex perverts in prison. He will have to use his martial arts skills to survive if he is lucky. His best bet is solitary confinement during his stay. For most purposes his life is basically over. A labeled sex offender for life which will follow him until he is dead. I knew a former preacher here is Salisbury that was charged with a similar offense. He was lucky to get a job at a local fast food restaurant. His wife and family left him, and she was pregnant with his third child. Very sad.

Anonymous said...

12:51 I agree it makes you wonder

JoeAlbero said...

Twenty some odd charges of rape, yet guess what Folks. Since they are all minors, none of them will show up on the rape totals in our communities because they are minors.

Anonymous said...

there are more many victims out there that need to speak up

Anonymous said...

Actually the trash in the lockup doesn't give a crap what he did. That talk about what is done to molesters is a myth that has been out there for years.

Anonymous said...

Definately shouldn't have gotten such a light sentence ..and the goverment needs to be tracking scum like this better. .we can't have these people out in public doing these sick things again.