Couple get 100 years in jail for horrific rape of adopted sons, 12 & 10, after showing off picture-perfect life online
A couple once celebrated as trailblazers in the gay community will spend the rest of their lives behind bars after being convicted of the heinous sexual abuse of their two adopted sons.
William Zulock, 34, and Zachary Zulock, 36, were each sentenced last week to 100 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
The couple had pled guilty to multiple charges, including aggravated sodomy, child molestation, incest, and sexual exploitation of children.
The men, who presented themselves as loving fathers on social media, were revealed to have subjected their children to years of abuse while recording the crimes to share with others in a depraved pedophile ring.
Their actions, described as a “house of horrors” by prosecutors, shocked the nation and sent ripples of outrage through the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.
The Zulocks, from Georgia, adopted their sons in 2018, boys who were then five and three years old, from a Christian special-needs agency.
They presented an image of an idyllic family life on social media, showcasing their affluent lifestyle in a suburban Atlanta neighbourhood.
Behind the façade, however, investigators uncovered years of unimaginable abuse.
The couple would allegedly force the boys to have sex with them and film the abuse to make paedophilic pornography, the New York Post reports.
It is also alleged they provided videos of the abuse to other paedophiles, according to 11Alive.
The case began in July 2022, when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
A Walton County IP address had been flagged for uploading child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Investigators traced the uploads to the Zulock home, where they uncovered over seven terabytes of incriminating evidence, including surveillance footage, graphic messages, and videos documenting the abuse.
Interviews revealed that the couple had been abusing the boys for years, beginning when the children were as young as three and five, the Daily Mail reports.
The horrific abuse was believed to take place when the boys were as young as three and five.
Prosecutors also uncovered messages in which the Zulocks communicated with other pedophiles about the abuse.
One co-defendant, Hunter Lawless, told police that Zachary Zulock once sent him a message allegedly saying he was going to sexually abuse his son that night, accompanied by graphic images.
Lawless was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his involvement, Fox 5 Atlanta reports.
Authorities also linked the couple to another pedophile, Luis Vizcarro-Sanchez, who received a 60-year sentence for his role in the case and unrelated crimes.
At their sentencing, District Attorney Randy McGinley described the depth of the couple’s crimes as “as dark as it gets.”
He praised the resilience of the two young victims, now aged 12 and 10, whose courage helped ensure their abusers would never walk free again.
“These two defendants truly created a house of horrors and put their extremely dark desires above everything and everyone else,” McGinley said.
“But their depravity was no match for the resolve of those fighting for justice.”
Judge Jeffrey L. Foster imposed the maximum sentence, ensuring the Zulocks will die in prison.
Both men will each serve 100 years behind bars without the possibility of parole, followed by a lifetime of probation.
The Zulocks used social media to project an image of a happy, loving family, sharing pictures of their luxurious lifestyle in a $900,000 home.
William worked for a government customer service center, and Zachary held a position at a bank.
The case also sparked scrutiny over adoption procedures, particularly as Zachary Zulock had been previously accused of sexually assaulting another boy in 2011.
Despite the allegation, the couple successfully adopted the boys through All God’s Children, a now-defunct agency.
In 2021, just a year before their arrest, the Zulocks sought to adopt a two-year-old girl, but their application was ultimately denied.
The boys are now in foster care, with authorities working to support their healing.
Prosecutors emphasized that the case sends a strong message against crimes of this nature.
“These crimes will not go unpunished, and the bravery of the victims will not be forgotten,” McGinley said.