The Charges and the Trial
William and Zachary Zulock, a married couple from Oxford, Georgia, were found guilty of multiple charges of sexually abusing their adopted sons and producing child pornography using them. The couple was arrested on July 27, 2022, after a police raid at their home revealed video evidence of their horrific crimes. According to Fox News, the couple allegedly admitted to authorities that they circulated illicit videos of the abuse involving the children. However, they pleaded not guilty in court.
The couple faced a grand jury indictment under charges of felony sexual exploitation of children, aggravated child molestation, felony prostitution of a minor, aggravated sodomy, and incest, amounting to possibly nine life sentences, according to court documents obtained by Townhall. The trial began in August 2023 and lasted for two weeks. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning a unanimous verdict of guilty on all counts.
The Victims and the Adoption Agency
The victims, two boys aged 11 and 9 at the time of the arrest, were adopted by the couple in November 2018 through a now-shut down Christian adoption agency focusing on special-needs children in Watkinsville, Georgia, called All God’s Children, Inc. According to NBC News, the agency had a history of complaints and violations, including failing to conduct proper background checks and home studies on prospective adoptive parents. The agency also did not provide adequate post-adoption services and support to the families and the children.
The indictment alleged that the couple began sexually abusing the boys soon after the adoption and continued until their arrest. The abuse included anal and oral rape, forced prostitution, and incest. The couple also tried to recruit others to participate in the abuse and filmed the acts to distribute them online. The older boy suffered injuries due to the anal rape and both boys showed signs of psychological trauma, according to the report.
The Reaction and the Aftermath
The case shocked and outraged the public and the authorities, who condemned the couple’s actions as “heinous” and “despicable”. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office, which led the investigation, said in a press release that they were “grateful for the swift and thorough work of our detectives, the GBI, and the District Attorney’s Office to bring justice to these innocent children”. The District Attorney, Layla Zon, said that the couple “will never harm another child again” and praised the courage of the boys for testifying against their abusers.
The boys were placed in foster care after the arrest and received medical and psychological treatment. They are now awaiting a permanent placement with a loving and safe family. The adoption agency, All God’s Children, Inc., was shut down by the state in December 2022 and is facing a lawsuit from the boys’ biological mother, who claims that the agency failed to protect her children and violated her parental rights. The couple, William and Zachary Zulock, are currently in separate facilities, awaiting their sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for October 2023. They could face up to nine life sentences without parole.