Trial begins for Atascadero man accused of raping underage girls
October 6, 2024
Nate Abate
By KAREN VELIE
A trial started last week for Nate Abate, an Atascadero man accused of raping multiple underage girls, while his friend and alleged accomplice remains on the run. The trial started Friday with opening statements.
Prosecutors charged Abate, 35, with 16 counts of rape by force, three counts of rape of an intoxicated person and four count of oral copulation with a minor. Abate pleaded not guilty.
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.
Julian Contreras
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.
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