Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley announced Thursday that a jury found Zackary Barker Coughlin, an attorney, guilty of all 14 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, the district attorney’s office reported.
Ms. Dudley stated that the defendant was indisputably a rapist who preyed upon extremely vulnerable 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 that appeared to depict the defendant having sexual intercourse with unconscious women, the district attorney’s office reported.
The D.A.’s office said 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 is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 23 in Department 11 of the Santa Barbara County Superior Court.
— Dave Mason
