Trial to begin for SLO County business owner accused of sexually assaulting multiple women
Editor’s note: This story mentions sexual assault.
One of the men accused of raping multiple women in San Luis Obispo County will face trial this week — more than two years after allegations first came to light on social media.
Nathan “Nate” Abate, 36, was arrested and charged with multiple sex crimes on Jan. 19, 2023. According to court documents, he faces four sex crimes stemming from three incidents — oral copulation of a minor on Aug. 16, 2008; forcible rape and rape of an intoxicated person on Jan. 1, 2009; and forcible rape in June 1, 2012.
He pleaded not guilty to the crimes on Jan. 20, 2023.
The charges applied to three separate alleged victims who will testify at trial, San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Kim Dittrich said in court Monday. San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Michael Frye ruled at least one additional alleged victim could testify in the trial because her assaults were similar to the charged offenses.
Frye said he will decide Tuesday afternoon whether to allow two more alleged victims to testify.
Dittrich argued that the fact pattern of the alleged victims were similar to the counts Abate was on trial for and demonstrate a history of that kind of conduct.
One was similar to what allegedly occurred to the victim in the 2008 case, Dittrich said, where Abate and Julian Contreras, Abate’s friend whose also been accused of sexual assault, reportedly isolated a minor and coerced her into a threesome.
Abate’s attorney, Scott Taylor, argued that because the prospective witness was an adult the time and did not technically say no, it was not a crime and could not be admitted. Dittrich argued the prospective witness feared she would be hurt if she did not cooperate and “felt like they would have had their way with (her) either way.”
“At worst this was a miscommunication (Abate) didn’t know about. At best it’s a consensual encounter,” Taylor argued.
When it comes to the second prospective witness Frye was considering, Taylor argued Abate listened when the alleged victim said no because no sex occurred.
Dittrich said this was not the case, and that the alleged victim told Abate no and that she felt sick, but Abate continued to touch her inappropriately until she pushed him off of her and left the room to find her sister — similar to the 2009 charge.
The judge is expected to make final decisions on what evidence can be admitted into trial Tuesday, followed by jury selection.
If convicted of all counts, Abate will face a maximum sentence of 16 years and eight months in state prison and must register as a lifetime sex offender, Dittrich said.
Social media sexual assault allegations spark investigation
Abate, who owns Cardinal Barbershop in Atascadero, was one of two San Luis Obispo County business owners accused of at least 30 allegations of sexual assault or harassment on social media in April 2022.
As of Monday, 35-year-old Julian Contreras, former owner of Kin Coffee in San Luis Obispo, remained at-large with a felony warrant out for his arrest and is believed to be out of the country, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office confirmed. Abate and Contreras were accused of sexually assaulting or harassing women together and separately.
Former San Luis Obispo resident Ash Riddell sparked a local #MeToo movement that April when she accused Abate and Contreras of assaulting her on social media.
Since then, dozens of women came forward on social media accusing the two men of similar experiences.
In a April 2022 phone interview with The Tribune, Abate denied all allegations, saying he had a consensual dating relationship with Riddell, who he said was upset over their breakup.
Additionally, Abate said he has never sexually assaulted anyone or had any inappropriate sexual relationship with a minor, despite being accused of sexually assaulting a minor in 2009, a case that ended in a misdemeanor false imprisonment conviction.
“No one ever has accused me of that ever, except one time,” Abate told the Tribune in April 2022.
Frye ruled Monday that the victim in the 2009 case could testify in the trial as it was determined relevant information for the case.
Abate said his false imprisonment no contest plea resulted from a party at Contreras’ home in which an underage girl claimed Contreras and he had raped her.
During Abate’s September 2023 preliminary hearing, Frye ruled there was sufficient evidence to bring Abate to trial.
In that hearing, San Luis Obispo Police Department and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office detectives testified about their interviews with victims that detail their alleged assaults at the hands of Abate.
If you or someone you know are a survivor of sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-4673. The hotline offers a range of free services including confidential support from a trained staff member, help finding a local health facility, legal and medical advice and referrals for long-term support. Survivor support and resources are also available through Lumina Alliance at luminaalliance.org or their Crisis and Information Line at 805-545-8888.
This story was originally published September 30, 2024 at 5:41 PM.
