Zenn Matthew Vicknair, 52, will spend 35 years in prison for the longtime sexual abuse of his stepdaughter, which started when she was about 9 years old.

Multnomah County Judge Kelly Skye sentenced Vicknair on Friday, April 18, on two counts of first-degree unlawful sexual penetration, two counts of first-degree sodomy and five counts of first-degree sex abuse.

Vicknair was convicted after a bench trial on May 31, 2024, but his sentencing was delayed for nearly a year for various reasons, including a filing of postponement and motions, according to court records.

In a statement, Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney, who prosecuted the case for the state, said:

“The 35 year sentence is an acknowledgment 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.”

Case facts
The abuse was first reported in 2016, when the victims mother called the Department of Human Services hotline to report that her then 15-year-old daughter had told her about ongoing sexual contact with Vicknair, according to court records.

Born in 2000, the abuse started when the victim was about 9 years old, and continued for years, even after the family moved to Renton, Washington in 2012.

According to court documents, Vicknair stepped into the victim’s “need for love, attention and affection” by filling it with pervasive, normalized sexual abuse during her young years of life.

Vicknair threatened to commit suicide after being kicked out of the home when the victim’s mother found out about the abuse, court records show. He was treated at Oregon Health & Science University after overdosing and was reunited with the victim’s mother, denying the allegations and moving away.

In 2016, the victim recanted statements, and said she did not want to separate the family and felt responsible for Vicknair’s health issues, according to court records. The case was reopened in 2021 when the victim contacted law enforcement because her family had moved out of state and she was worried about her little brother.