Portland, OR- Multnomah County Judge Kelly Skye on Friday, April 18, 2025 sentenced Zenn Matthew Vicknair to 420 months in prison (35 years) for sexually abusing his stepdaughter over multiple years.
Judge Kyle convicted Vicknair after a bench trial on May 31, 2024 but his sentencing was delayed for nearly a year by a variety of factors.
Vicknair was convicted on two counts of Unlawful Sexual Penetration in the First Degree, two counts of Sodomy in the First Degree, and five counts of Sex Abuse in the First Degree. The abuse began when the stepdaughter was 9 years old.
Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Robin Skarstad prosecuted the case for the state. After the sentencing she said:
“The 35 year sentence is an acknowledgement of the repeated instances of egregious sexual abuse committed by the defendant against the most vulnerable of victims. We are so grateful for the strength this now young-woman showed in seeking justice and safety for our community and hope that this verdict brings her some peace.”
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank Detective Kathryne Manus for her patient work with this victim over many years.
MCDA would also like to acknowledge the kind and caring work done by MCDA Victim Advocate Alie Aguilera on this case.
THE FACTS:
The facts brought out in trial proved incidents of sexual assault that started when the child was just 9 years old, and continued for years, allegedly even after the family moved to Renton, Washington in 2012. Vicknair stepped into the victim’s need for love and affection and filled it with pervasive, almost normalized sexual abuse for years of her young life – destroying her sense of self and the bonds of her family. The abuse first was reported in 2016, when the victim’s mother called the Department of Human Services hotline to report that her then 15-year old had disclosed ongoing sexual contact with the defendant. After learning the defendant had attempted suicide and was experiencing seizures, the victim recanted the allegations during a therapy session. The case was reopened in 2021 when the victim reached out to law enforcement concerned for her younger brother’s welfare.
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