A Goleta man accused of being a serial sexual predator who abused preteen and teenage girls he met online and by volunteering at school events was sentenced Thursday to four years in state prison.
Zachary Arthur Warburg, 32, was sentenced as part of a deal he made with prosecutors to plead guilty to felony counts of child sexual abuse and child pornography in exchange for a lighter sentence than he could have received had he gone to trial and been convicted on all counts.
“The sentencing went forward this morning in front of Judge (Thomas R.) Adams …,” Deputy District Attorney Sarah Barkley told the News-Press. “Neither the judge nor any victims made statements at the sentencing hearing.”
Mr. Warburg pleaded guilty to four felonies and three misdemeanors in a plea bargain he reached with Santa Barbara County prosecutors at a Nov. 30 pretrial hearing.
The deal meant none of his young victims had to testify in open court.
“By reaching a plea negotiation in this case, the victims will not have to suffer the trauma of a lengthy trial or relive the abuse and unwanted sexual advances through testimony,” prosecutor Barkley said previously. “It is my hope that this plea and sentence will give the victims closure and help them move forward on their path toward healing.
“Additionally, it is my hope that the consequences of his plea, including sex offender registration and his state prison sentence, prevent Mr. Warburg from committing future offenses and protect the children and teens of our community from further victimization.”
Two of the felonies, lewd and lascivious behavior with a child under 14 and dissuading a witness, will count as strikes under the state’s Three Strikes law, she said.
Mr. Warburg also pleaded guilty to felony charges of possession of child pornography and attempting to contact a minor to commit lewd acts.
The three misdemeanors all involved annoying, harassing or molesting a child with lewd intent. “In the legal sense, molesting means bothering (not physical child sexual abuse),” the prosecutor said.
In addition to the prison term, Mr. Warburg will have to register as a sex offender.
Prosecutor Barkley told the News-Press previously that the defendant was a local photographer who did on-scene photography at local newsworthy incidents (emergencies, fires, accidents etc.). He also volunteered to photograph local youth theater and singing events. Mr. Warburg met his victims through his volunteer work, attendance at local youth performance events and online, the prosecutor said.
The criminal investigation against Mr. Warburg began after a school resource deputy at San Marcos High School was notified by a student that he was “attempting inappropriate communications with her of a sexual nature,” according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators uncovered several alleged instances of criminal behavior between the defendant and minor female students at local area high schools and junior highs, as well as out of the area.
He was arrested in March 2019 on 17 felony and eight misdemeanor charges involving multiple victims.
The offenses occurred mainly in the spring of 2018, although some allegations date back to 2015, with victims ranging from 11 to 17 years old, according to court documents.
There were 24 charges total filed against him, 19 felonies and five misdemeanors, but the remaining counts were dismissed when he was sentenced.
Mr. Warburg read a statement of apology at the Nov. 30 hearing during which he pleaded guilty, prosecutor Barkley said.
“In his statement, he apologized for his conduct and expressed remorse to the victims and involved parties,” she said. “I’m not going to comment on my personal opinion of the statement. It’s hard to do so when I don’t know Mr. Warburg or what his intentions are going forward. I hope he will not victimize young women and girls in the future and that his remorse was genuine.”
email: nhartsteinnewspress@gmail.com
