Jury finds Atascadero man guilty of raping underage girls

October 18, 2024

By KAREN VELIE

A jury on Friday found Nate Abate guilty of raping multiple underage girls, while his friend and alleged accomplice remains on the run.

The jury found Abate, 35, guilty of one county of forcible rape, one count of rape of an intoxicated person and one count of oral copulation with a minor. The jury was hung 9-3 on one count of forcible rape related to the woman who first posted the shocking allegations on Instagram.

The jury also found true five factors in aggravation including: the victims were particularly vulnerable, Abate induced a minor to participate in the crime, the crimes were carried out with planning and sophistication, Abate violated a position of trust when committing his crimes, and Abate’s engaged in violent conduct that posed a serious danger to society.

“I want to commend the young women who bravely reported the crimes that had occurred when they were much younger and so vulnerable,” said District Attorney Dan Dow. “Unfortunately, those who are victimized by sexual assault often feel shame and carry emotional pain by the abuse that should never have been inflicted upon them. The courage of these women to speak up and to testify, together with these guilty verdicts, will show other victims that there can be accountability for their abusers in our criminal and victim justice system.”

In 2022, more than 30 women came forward on social media with allegations of sexual assaults against Julian Contreras, the owner of Kin Coffee Bar in San Luis Obispo, and Abate, the owner of Nate’s Barber in Atascadero. Abate then changed the name of his business to Cardinal Barbershop.

Contreras initially handed management of his coffee shop over to his girlfriend, then to his mother who changed the name to Glo Coffee Co. After law enforcement secured arrest warrants for the two alleged rapists, Contreras allegedly fled to Mexico.

Abate is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 12. He faces up to an estimated 20-years in prison.