SLO County barber convicted of sexually assaulting teen girls gets maximum prison sentence
Editor’s note: This story contains sexual assault.
The Atascadero barber convicted of sexually assaulting underage girls was sentenced to eight years and eight months in state prison — the maximum punishment — Thursday.
Nate Abate, 36, was convicted on Oct. 18 of three of the four crimes he was charged with: oral copulation of a minor in 2008 and forcible rape and rape of an intoxicated person in 2009. The jury split 9-3 in favor of guilt on the fourth charge, forcible rape in 2012.
San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Michael Frye declared a mistrial on the fourth charge. It is unclear whether the District Attorney’s Office will refile that charge.
Before his sentencing, Abate asked the judge for leniency so he could return to his family as soon as possible. He said he was remorseful of his actions, but also said he disagreed with the jury’s verdict and intends to appeal.
He claimed he was not the same man he was at the time of the assaults, and was heavily influenced by his toxic friendship with Julian Contreras, who fled to Mexico after having a warrant out for his arrest for similar sex crimes. He added that he was ashamed for that period of his life, and has since become Christian, gotten married and become a father.
Frye said though Abate claimed to have changed, his victims were still impacted by what happened to them.
“What I’m left with is a defendant who has left his past life behind, he’s moved forward, but nevertheless I am faced with victims who have not been able to move on, whose lives have been hijacked by what the defendant and Julian Contreras did to them,” Frye said in court before he sentenced Abate.
Frye said Abate’s behavior was “clearly predatory” and “calculated,” noting that both Lauren and Tiffany Doe were in their teens at the time of their assault.
While Abate appeared to move on and change the path of his life, his victims were still greatly affected by his actions, with some having to attend therapy, struggling with trust and intimacy.
Frye ultimately sentenced Abate to the maximum possible under the law — eight years and eight months in prison. Abate will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life upon his release.
Abate’s sentencing was delayed last week after his attorney filed a motion for a new trial the day before. In lieu of the sentencing, seven victims shared statements about how Abate’s crimes affected them.
“He took my innocence. He took my voice,” Lauren Doe, who was raped by Abate at 13, said in her statement to the court. “The effects and memory of what this man did to me will haunt me for the rest of my life.”
All seven victims who gave statements asked Frye to give Abate the maximum penalty, which the judge ultimately agreed with.
Abate’s mother, wife, pastor and wife’s friend all asked the judge for leniency, claiming Abate was a “changed man,” was influenced by his toxic friendship with Contreras and has learned from his mistakes.
Abate, owner of Cardinal Barbershop in Atascadero, and Contreras, former owner of Kin Coffee in downtown San Luis Obispo, were accused on social media of sexually assaulting or harassing at least 30 women in April 2022. The accusations span between 2008 and 2021.
The motion for a new trial alleged there was juror misconduct and that a victim perjured herself on the stand. Frye found both of these allegations to be untrue Tuesday and ruled that Abate’s sentencing should move forward.
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 November 21, 2024 at 9:47 AM.
