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'House of horrors.' 2 men sexually abused adoptive sons in Georgia, officials say

Paloma Chavez, The Charlotte Observer on

Published in News & Features

Two men are going to prison after being convicted of molesting their two adoptive sons, Georgia officials said.

In July 2022, Walton County deputies were contacted about child sexual abuse material uploaded to a Google account, according to a Dec. 23 news release by the Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office.

Deputies met with Hunter Lawless, who is accused of admitting to receiving the child abuse material from Zachary Zulock, officials said.

Lawless pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children and was sentenced, officials said.

McClatchy News reached out to the Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office on Dec. 23 to clarify his sentencing and was awaiting a response.

Police performed a search warrant on the home of Zachary Jacoby Zulock and William Dale Zulock and eventually learned the two men had been sexually abusing their adopted sons, prosecutors said.

The abuse began a “few years before the search warrant was executed,” officials said.

“Those involved with the investigation and prosecution of this case will never forget what they had to see and hear in this case,” Randy McGinley, the Alcovy district attorney, said in the release. “These two defendants truly created a house of horrors and put their extremely dark desires above everything and everyone else. However, 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,”

While searching, officers reported finding electronic evidence showing the two men sexually abusing the boys on different occasions throughout different rooms in the home.

Different cell phones also contained graphic images and videos of the abuse along with graphic text messages, officials said.

The evidence led officials to Luis Vizcarro-Sanchez after they saw he had been receiving messages from one of the men about the sexual abuse of one of the victims, officials said.

 

Vizcarro-Sanchez pleaded guilty to pandering for a person under 18 and was sentenced, the release said.

McClatchy News reached out to the Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office on Dec. 23 to clarify his sentencing and was awaiting a response.

In August, William Zulock pleaded guilty to aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, incest, and sexual exploitation of children, officials said. In October, Zachary Zulock pleaded guilty to aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, incest, sodomy, sexual exploitation of children and pandering of a person under 18.

They were sentenced to 100 years in prison followed by life on probation and will not be eligible for parole for the entire 100 years, officials said.

Walton County is about a 50-mile drive east of Atlanta.

If you suspect a child has experienced, is currently experiencing, or is at risk of experiencing abuse or neglect, your first step should be to contact the appropriate agency. The Child Welfare Information Gateway has a list of state agencies you can contact. Find help specific to your area here.

For additional help, the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline has professional crisis counselors available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 170 languages. All calls are confidential. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources. You can call or text 1-800-422-4453.

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, please call 911 for help.

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