A Georgia couple has been sentenced to 100 years in prison without the possibility of parole — a sentence that has shocked the nation and is currently trending across the United States. William Dale Zulock and Zachary Jacoby Zulock, a married couple from Loganville, Walton County, Georgia, received the maximum sentence on December 19, 2024, after pleading guilty to the repeated sexual abuse and exploitation of their two adopted sons. Here is everything you need to know about the case, the charges, and what a 100-year Georgia prison sentence actually means.
Who Are William and Zachary Zulock?
William Dale Zulock and Zachary Jacoby Zulock were a married couple residing in Loganville, a city in Walton County, Georgia, approximately 30 miles east of Atlanta. The couple had legally adopted two young boys and presented themselves publicly as a family unit. In July 2022, their lives unraveled when law enforcement received a tip that would expose years of horrific abuse occurring inside what prosecutors would later call a “house of horrors.”
Prior to their arrest, neither man had a significant public profile. Their case became one of the most high-profile child abuse prosecutions in Georgia’s recent history, eventually drawing national and international attention, including a reference by Argentina’s President Javier Milei at the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos.
What Happened? The Investigation and Charges
The investigation began in July 2022 when the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit contacted the Walton County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators had received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about suspected homemade child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that had been uploaded to a Google account traced to an IP address in Walton County.
When deputies investigated, they discovered that the account belonged to the Zulocks, and that the victims depicted in the material were the couple’s own adopted sons. A search of the home revealed surveillance cameras that had captured approximately 7 terabytes of video evidence — footage documenting multiple incidents of abuse occurring in various rooms of the house. Investigators also established that the couple had been distributing the material to at least one other individual.
Both men were arrested and charged with a range of serious sexual offenses under Georgia law, including aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, incest, sexual exploitation of children, and related charges.
Guilty Pleas and Convictions
The case moved through the Georgia court system over a period of more than two years. On August 20, 2024, William Zulock pleaded guilty to all charges against him, including six counts of aggravated sodomy, three counts of aggravated child molestation, two counts of incest, and two counts of sexual exploitation of children.
Zachary Zulock’s path to conviction was slightly different. He pleaded guilty to the majority of his charges — including two counts of aggravated sodomy, three counts of aggravated child molestation, two counts of sodomy, three counts of sexual exploitation of children, and two counts of pandering to a person under 18 — but initially contested two counts of incest. In October 2024, Judge Jeffrey L. Foster found him guilty of those two additional incest counts following a brief bench trial. Both men were ultimately convicted on all charges.
The Sentencing: 100 Years Without Parole
On December 19, 2024, Judge Jeffrey L. Foster handed down the sentence in Walton County Superior Court. Both William and Zachary Zulock received identical sentences: 100 years in prison without the possibility of parole, to be followed by life on probation upon completion of the prison term — which, as a practical matter, means both men will die in Georgia state prison.
The sentence followed the State’s sentencing recommendation, presented by the Walton County District Attorney’s office. DA Randy McGinley confirmed that because of the nature of the offenses, neither defendant would be eligible for parole at any point during the 100-year sentence. The judge structured the sentence so that the multiple counts run consecutively rather than concurrently, stacking the sentences to reach the 100-year total.
The sentencing received widespread media coverage and was praised by victim advocates as a landmark result in a state where child sexual abuse prosecutions can sometimes result in more limited sentences.
Georgia Law: What Does 100 Years Without Parole Mean?
Georgia has some of the toughest sentencing laws in the United States when it comes to child sexual offenses. Under Georgia Code § 16-6-4, aggravated child molestation carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison followed by lifetime probation, with no possibility of parole during that mandatory minimum period. When multiple counts are charged and sentenced consecutively — as in the Zulock case — the individual sentences stack, resulting in a combined term of 100 years or more.
Georgia Code § 17-10-6.2 governs punishment for sexual offenders specifically and reinforces that sentences for serious sexual offenses are to be served in their entirety. The State Board of Pardons and Paroles has no authority to grant early release for individuals serving mandatory minimum terms on these offenses, and no form of earned time, work release, or early release programs administered by the Georgia Department of Corrections can reduce the mandatory minimum.
In practical terms, the Zulocks’ sentences mean the following: both men will serve every day of their 100-year terms. Given their ages at the time of arrest (William was approximately 34, Zachary approximately 36), it is virtually certain that both will die incarcerated in a Georgia state prison. The life probation that follows the prison term is therefore largely symbolic, though it would apply in the extraordinarily unlikely event that either man were to outlive the sentence.
Georgia currently houses most long-term sentenced offenders in its Department of Corrections facilities. High-security inmates — particularly those convicted of serious violent or sexual felonies — are typically assigned to higher-security institutions within the Georgia state prison system. The Department of Corrections manages classification decisions based on the nature of the offense, the length of sentence, and behavioral assessments.
US Prison System Context: Federal vs. State, Parole, and Sentencing
The Zulock case is a Georgia state court prosecution — not a federal case. This distinction matters because the federal prison system and individual state prison systems operate differently, with different rules on parole eligibility, good-time credits, and release mechanisms.
In the federal prison system, parole was abolished for federal offenses committed after November 1, 1987, as part of the Sentencing Reform Act. Federal inmates can earn up to 54 days per year of good conduct time under the First Step Act, and may be eligible for early release to home confinement under certain conditions. However, for serious violent offenses, these reductions are limited. You can read more about the differences between federal and state prison on our main guide.
In Georgia’s state system, the rules differ. Most Georgia inmates serving standard sentences are eligible to appear before the State Board of Pardons and Paroles after serving a portion of their sentence. However, as detailed above, individuals convicted of serious violent sexual offenses — including aggravated child molestation and aggravated sodomy — are subject to mandatory minimums that completely remove parole eligibility for the duration of the mandatory term. The Zulock sentences fall squarely within this category.
The concept of consecutive vs. concurrent sentencing is central to understanding how a 100-year sentence is constructed. When sentences run concurrently, an offender serves all counts simultaneously — so two 25-year sentences served concurrently result in a 25-year total. When sentences run consecutively, each count begins after the previous one ends. Four consecutive 25-year sentences produce a 100-year total. Judges in Georgia (and most US states) have discretion to order consecutive or concurrent sentences, and in cases involving multiple victims or multiple serious offenses, prosecutors routinely request — and judges routinely grant — consecutive terms.
For more background on how US sentencing works, including mandatory minimums, truth-in-sentencing laws, and the role of parole boards, see our guides on US sentencing guidelines and parole and probation explained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were the Georgia couple sentenced to 100 years in prison?
William and Zachary Zulock were sentenced to 100 years in prison without parole because they were convicted of numerous serious felony counts — including aggravated sodomy, aggravated child molestation, incest, and sexual exploitation of children — committed against their two adopted sons. Georgia law mandates that these offenses carry mandatory minimum sentences of 25 years each without parole. Because multiple counts were sentenced consecutively rather than concurrently, the sentences stacked to reach 100 years total. Judge Jeffrey L. Foster imposed the sentence on December 19, 2024, following the State’s recommendation.
Will either of the Zulock couple ever be released from prison?
No. Both William and Zachary Zulock were sentenced to 100 years without any possibility of parole, followed by life on probation. Georgia law explicitly prohibits the State Board of Pardons and Paroles from granting parole for serious violent sexual offense convictions during the mandatory minimum term. Given that the mandatory minimum covers the entire 100-year sentence, neither man is eligible for any form of early release. In all practical terms, both will spend the remainder of their lives in Georgia state prison.
Which Georgia prison will the Zulocks be sent to?
The specific facility assignment for each man is determined by the Georgia Department of Corrections (GDC) based on their security classification, the nature of their offenses, and available bed space. Inmates convicted of serious sexual offenses involving children are typically assigned to higher-security facilities and are often segregated from the general population for safety reasons. The GDC manages roughly 60 state prisons of varying security levels. Exact facility assignments are not always publicly disclosed immediately following sentencing.
How does a 100-year sentence in Georgia compare to sentences in other US states?
Georgia is among the states with the most stringent sentencing laws for child sexual abuse offenses, largely due to its mandatory minimum requirements and the explicit prohibition on parole for serious violent and sexual felonies. Some states use life sentences without parole as an alternative to stacked century-long terms; others have indeterminate sentencing systems where parole boards have broader discretion. In federal court, sentences for similar offenses can reach decades but are subject to the federal sentencing guidelines framework. The 100-year no-parole outcome in the Zulock case reflects Georgia’s policy of ensuring that the most serious offenders never return to society.
What happens to the adopted children in cases like the Zulock case?
When adoptive parents are arrested and convicted of abuse, child protective services — in Georgia, the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) — takes immediate custody of the children. The children become wards of the state and are placed in foster care or with other relatives while the courts determine the appropriate long-term placement. Termination of the adoptive parents’ parental rights is a near-automatic consequence of serious criminal convictions for abuse of the children in question. Victims in cases like this are also typically connected with trauma-informed counseling, therapy, and victim advocacy services as part of the legal and child welfare process.