The suburbs of Atlanta usually offer a quiet, predictable life. Manicured lawns and two-car garages are the standard in Walton County. For years, neighbors saw William and Zachary Zulock as just another successful couple. One worked in banking, the other for the government. They lived in a large home on St. Regis Way in Oxford. They had two young boys. It looked like the American dream.
But appearances are often a lie.
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In 2022, that lie collapsed. The world learned that the William and Zachary Zulock sons were living in what prosecutors eventually dubbed a "house of horrors." This isn't just a story about a crime; it is a systemic failure that left two vulnerable children at the mercy of predators who used a Christian adoption agency to find their victims.
The Adoption that Turned Into a Nightmare
The two boys were adopted a few years before the couple's arrest. They were young—now aged 10 and 12, but they were as small as three and five when the abuse began. They came from a special-needs agency. These kids needed extra care, extra love, and a stable environment.
Instead, they got the Zulocks.
Most people wonder how this happens. How does a couple pass the background checks? How do they convince social workers they are fit to be parents? Honestly, it’s because the Zulocks were good at playing the part. They had the money. They had the professional titles. They had the suburban home. They checked every box that a traditional "stable home" requires on paper.
The reality was much darker.
How the "House of Horrors" Was Exposed
The breakthrough didn't happen because of a social worker visit. It happened because of a "Cyber Tip."
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The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) flagged a Google account. It was tied to an IP address in Walton County. Someone was uploading homemade child sexual abuse material (CSAM). When investigators tracked the signal, it led them to a man named Hunter Lawless.
He was the thread that pulled the whole sweater apart.
Lawless admitted he was receiving these horrific videos from "Zach Zulock." He eventually took a plea deal—20 years, with 12 behind bars—in exchange for cooperating against the couple. When the Sheriff’s Office finally raided the Zulock home in July 2022, the scale of the evidence was staggering.
We are talking about 7 terabytes of electronic evidence.
What Investigators Found Inside the Home
The Zulocks weren't just abusing their sons; they were documenting it. They had surveillance cameras installed throughout the house. Not for security. Not to keep the boys safe. They used the footage to re-watch the abuse whenever they wanted.
District Attorney Randy McGinley was blunt about the case. He noted that the defendants put their "extremely dark desires" above everything else. The digital forensics team spent months combing through the data. It wasn't just videos; it was social media messages, graphic texts, and a clear trail of how they shared this material with other pedophiles.
The boys were being exploited in their own bedrooms.
The Charges and the 2024 Sentencing
The legal process was long. It took two years to get to the final sentencing. In August 2024, William Dale Zulock pleaded guilty. Zachary Jacoby Zulock followed suit in October, though he initially contested some of the incest charges.
Here is what they were actually convicted of:
- William Zulock: 6 counts of Aggravated Sodomy, 3 counts of Aggravated Child Molestation, 2 counts of Incest, and 2 counts of Sexual Exploitation.
- Zachary Zulock: Similar counts of sodomy and molestation, plus Pandering for a Person Under 18.
In December 2024, Judge Jeffrey L. Foster handed down the hammer. 100 years each. No parole. Effectively, they will die in prison.
The Current Status of the Sons
Where are the boys now?
The moment the Zulocks were arrested in July 2022, the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) took the children into protective custody. They were removed from that house immediately. For their privacy and safety, their current location and names are not public knowledge.
Recovery for children who have survived this level of prolonged trauma is not a straight line. They were subjected to abuse by the very people who were supposed to protect them. Experts in child trauma emphasize that "betrayal trauma" is one of the hardest things to overcome. Their entire sense of safety was tied to their abusers.
The focus now is on long-term therapy and finding a truly safe environment where they can attempt to reclaim their childhoods.
The Failure of the "Vetting" System
This case has sparked a massive debate about the vetting process for adoptive parents. The Zulocks used a private, Christian special-needs agency. Many are asking why there weren't more red flags.
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The problem is that many predators are "high-functioning." They hold down jobs. They pay their taxes. They don't have prior criminal records. They look like the perfect candidates on a home study. This case proves that we need deeper psychological evaluations and more frequent, unannounced follow-ups after an adoption is finalized.
What can be done to protect children in similar situations?
If you are a neighbor, a teacher, or a family friend, the Zulock case is a reminder that signs aren't always obvious. Sometimes, the most "perfect" families are the ones hiding the most.
- Look for behavioral changes: Children in abusive homes often show sudden regression, aggression, or extreme withdrawal.
- Monitor "Surveillance" culture: While home cameras are common, an excessive number of cameras inside private areas like bedrooms or bathrooms is a major red flag.
- Report Cyber Suspicions: If you ever encounter suspicious material online, reporting it to NCMEC (CyberTipline.org) works. That is exactly how these boys were saved.
The Zulock sons are finally out of the "house of horrors," but the scars of Walton County will stay with them for a lifetime. The justice system did its job in the end, but the goal for the future must be preventing these adoptions before they ever start.
Next Steps for Protection and Awareness
- Support Legislative Change: Follow the progress of the "Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act" which aims to provide more oversight for agencies and residential facilities.
- Educate on Mandated Reporting: If you work with children, ensure you are up to date on your state's reporting requirements and the subtle signs of grooming.
- Donate to Recovery Services: Organizations like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) or local Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) provide the forensic and therapeutic resources needed to help survivors like the Zulock boys.