Walton County men sentenced to life in prison for sexually abusing adopted boys

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William Zulock and Zachary Zulock

WALTON COUNTY, Ga. – Zachary and William Zulock were sentenced to 100 years in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to multiple counts of aggravated child abuse and exploitation, according to Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney Randy McGinley. Sentencing took place on December 19 before Judge Jeffrey L. Foster.

William Zulock pleaded guilty in August to six counts of aggravated sodomy, three counts of aggravated child abuse, two counts of incest and two counts of child sexual exploitation. Zachary Zulock pleaded guilty in October to two counts of aggravated sodomy, three counts of aggravated child abuse, two counts of incest, two counts of sodomy, three counts of child sexual exploitation and two counts of vandalism to a person under 18.

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 regarding suspected child sexual abuse material (CSAM) uploaded from a Walton County IP address. Investigators traced the material to the Zulock residence, where they discovered evidence of extensive abuse.

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The Zulock family, who had adopted two boys years earlier, admitted during interviews to abusing the children. Authorities seized over 7 terabytes of electronic evidence, including surveillance footage and cell phone records documenting the abuse. Investigators also uncovered graphic text and social media messages discussing the crimes.

Co-defendants in the case included Hunter Lawless, who pleaded guilty to child sexual exploitation, and Luis Vizcarro-Sanchez, who was convicted of vandalism and unrelated computer theft charges.

District Attorney Randy McGinley praised the efforts of law enforcement and prosecutors for their commitment to ensuring justice for the victims.

“These two defendants truly created a house of horrors and put their extremely dark desires above everything and everyone else,” McGinley 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 that their abusers are free.”

McGinley also praised the resilience of the victims, noting their inspirational strength throughout the investigation and prosecution process.

The case involved extensive cooperation between the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, GBI Cyber ​​Crimes Center, Walton County DFCS and the District Attorney’s Office. Investigators and prosecutors emphasized their determination to ensure justice for the victims while sending a strong message against such heinous crimes.