Anonymous
Source: Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office
Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley announced today that a jury found Zackary Barker Coughlin, an attorney, guilty of all fourteen charges, which included Penetration of an Unconscious/Intoxicated Person, Forcible Oral Copulation, Forcible Rape, Rape of an Unconscious/Intoxicated Person, and Kidnap with Intent to Commit Rape. The jury also found that the defendant committed aggravated kidnap and specified sexual offenses against multiple victims.
District Attorney Joyce Dudley stated that the defendant was indisputably a rapist who preyed upon extremely vulnerable victims. Dudley expressed her deep appreciation and admiration for the prosecutors in this case Megan Chanda and Michelle Mossembekker, as well as members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department. Dudley also stated that but for the bravery of the testifying victims/survivors this defendant would never have been prosecuted. “Now,” Dudley continued, “as a result of all of their collective efforts, the defendant will no longer be able to prey upon any more victims.”
The investigation began in May 2020 when the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office became aware of the defendant’s conduct involving young women in the Isla Vista neighborhood. Upon further investigation by the Special Investigations Bureau, specifically Detectives Kevin McGillivray and Anthony Kouremetis, multiple videos were located which appeared to depict the defendant having sexual intercourse with unconscious women. Several months of intensive investigation, supported by Supervising Victim Advocate Rita McGaw led to multiple additional victims of sexual assault and ultimately this successful prosecution.
The defendant will be sentenced in Department 11 of the Santa Barbara Superior Court on September 23, 2021.
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