Nathan Abate, former owner of Atascadero’s Cardinal Barbershop, was sentenced to eight years and eight months in state prison for sexually assaulting underage girls on Thursday.
Abate’s sentence was the maximum penalty for his conviction on three felony sex crimes.
Judge Michael Frye cited the aggravated circumstances of Abate’s crimes as grounds for the maximum sentence, highlighting his calculated pattern of abuse and lasting harm to his victims.
He was found guilty in October of three of four charges including rape by force or fear, rape of an intoxicated person, and oral copulation of a minor. A fourth charge of forcible rape resulted in a mistrial after the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision.
At Thursday’s hearing, Abate gave a statement expressing regret for his actions but argued that he is no longer the same man he had been at the time of his crimes, adding that he intends to appeal his convictions.
He also requested a reduced sentence and waiver from lifetime sex offender registration, claiming his behavior had been influenced by his “toxic friendship” with Julian Contreras, former owner of Kin Coffee Bar.
Contreras, who has been named in connection to similar sex crimes, remains at large after fleeing to Mexico. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has issued a felony warrant for his arrest.
Frye, while acknowledging Abate’s claimed personal transformation, emphasized the severity of the crimes and the lasting harm to the victims.
“These crimes were predatory and deliberate,” Frye said during the sentencing.
Frye pointed to the impact on the victims noting, “I heard testimony of women whose lives have not been able to move forward. What happens after 15 years? Mr. Abate moving forward in his life and the victims not.”
Frye ruled that Abate must serve the full sentence of eight years, and eight months at the California Men’s Colony in San Luis Obispo and be required to register as a lifetime sex offender.
Before the sentencing, 11 impact statements were delivered to the court on Nov. 12 detailing the ongoing emotional toll the crimes have taken on victims and family.
One victim, Lauren Doe, who was 13 when Abate raped her in 2009, shared the emotional toll the crimes have had on her life.
“Over a decade of therapy to try to heal the depression, anxiety and PTSD, I [still] suffer from what he did to me… It has affected my ability to love myself, respect myself. He took my power away,” she said.
While Abate has reportedly turned to religion in the past two years, claiming newfound faith as part of his transformation, victims remain skeptical of his claims and collectively called for the maximum sentence.
Gracie Doe, another victim, stated in her impact statement, “I do believe that there are people who can find their higher power and make positive changes in their lives, but I don’t believe Mr. Abate has done that. I think it was just a ruse, a great facade to the court, to the jury, to the community.”
Abate’s sentencing was delayed from the previous week after his attorney filed a motion for a new trial, alleging juror misconduct and accusing one of the victims of perjury. However, Judge Frye dismissed these claims, ruling that the allegations had no merit.