Gay couple slapped with 100-year prison sentence for raping adopted boys: 'Depravity'
A same-sex Georgia couple who pleaded guilty to aggravated sodomy against their two adopted sons were recently sentenced to 100 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
Zachary and William Zulock, a wealthy couple who adopted two boys with the help of a now-defunct Christian adoption agency, faced sentences for multiple other charges, including child molestation, sexual exploitation of children and incest, according to a press release from the Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney Randy McGinley.
"These two defendants truly created a house of horrors and put their extremely dark desires above everything and everyone else," McGinley said.
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"The depth of the defendants' depravity, which is as deep as it gets, is not greater than the resolve of those that fought for justice and the strength of the victims in this case. The resolve I have seen from these two young victims over the last two years is truly inspiring."
Judge Jeffrey L. Foster sentenced both men on Dec. 19 to a century in prison, followed by life on probation.
In July 2022, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia received a "cyber tip" from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children informing them that homemade child pornography had been uploaded to the internet from an IP address in the county, which is about 30 miles east of Atlanta.
After discovering and questioning secondary suspect Hunter Lawless, authorities found that Lawless had received pornography of child sexual abuse from a man named "Zach Zulock," according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office.
Lawless pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children and was sentenced to 20 years, with the first 12 years in prison. He also agreed to cooperate in any prosecution of the Zulocks.
After police conducted a search of the Zulocks' home in nearby Oxford, Georgia, they found evidence that the Zulocks were "engaging in sexually abusive acts and video documenting this abuse," according to the Walton County Sheriff's Office.
In Snapchat messages to Lawless, Zachary boasted about the sexual abuse of his son before sending footage of the acts, according to The New York Post. "I'm going to f--- my son tonight. Stand by," he reportedly said.
The Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office claimed their investigation of the Zulocks' house and electronic devices provided evidence that they were sexually abusing their underage, adopted sons to make child pornography.
"A thorough analysis found videos of multiple incidents of the defendants committing sexual abuse in different parts of the house," the district attorney said. "Cell phones were analyzed which contained graphic images and videos of the abuse as well as graphic text and social media messages about the sexual abuse."
A 2023 investigation by Townhall uncovered more details about the Zulocks, including the fact that Zachary was the focus of a pedophilia investigation in 2011 after being accused of engaging in sexual acts with a 14-year-old boy in Walton County. The investigation was dropped with no charges filed, though it was subsequently reopened following the Townhall article.
A family member told Townhall in 2023 that the brothers — who were aged 9 and 11 at the time — were raised by struggling heroin addicts. One relative of the boys told the outlet they believe the Zulocks used that information to target the vulnerable boys.
McGinley praised the work of others who assisted in bringing the Zulocks to justice.
“I am grateful for the hard work of so many to obtain an appropriate outcome in this case. The hard work of law enforcement put an end to the abuse suffered by the victims, and this resolution will help the victims continue their process of healing," he said. "William and Zachary Zulock will now spend 100 years in prison without parole. This all but guarantees that the victims will not have to worry as they grow older about their abusers being free."
The boys were removed from the Zulocks' custody and are "now safe" after the Walton County Division of Family & Children Services took them, according to authorities.
Jon Brown is a reporter for The Christian Post. Send news tips to jon.brown@christianpost.com
