Nathan Abate, owner of Atascadero Cardinal Barbershop, is on trial for charges of four sex crimes. The charges stem from three alleged victims dating back between 2008 and 2012, according to court documents.
Charges include oral compilation with a minor, rape of an intoxicated person and two counts of forcible rape.
Abate pleaded not guilty in January 2023. The six victims, three of which were minors at the time of their assaults, are expected to testify.
The arrest followed an April 2022 Instagram post accusing Abate and former Kin Coffee owner Julian Contreras of sexual assault. The post prompted more than 30 women to come forward with similar allegations against them.
“Each event with the exception of [one victim] involves some level of force or coercion, or was against the victim’s will,” Judge Michael Frye stated in a pretrial hearing on Friday.
If Abate is convicted on all four counts, he faces a maximum sentence of 16 years and eight months in state prison. He will also be required to register as a lifetime sex offender, according to San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Kim Dittrich.
This is the second time Abate faced charges for sexual offenses.
He remains out of custody at this time.
More information will be available as the trial continues over the coming weeks.
Abate’s ties to Julian Contreras, former owner of Kin Coffee
Abate and Contreras are accused of sexually assaulting or harassing women together and separately.
Contreras gained notoriety for owning Kin Coffee, a local coffee shop that closed its two locations shortly following the allegations starting in 2022.
Court documents submitted by the prosecution show both men had a predatory pattern where they would groom younger women, pressure them to perform sexual acts and at times force themselves upon their victims.
“Generally there [was] a coercive atmosphere where the victim was brought to [Contreras’] place,” Frye said in reference to evidence submitted by the prosecution. “Alcohol was involved and it seems overall calculated.”
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has issued a felony warrant for Contreras’ arrest connecting crimes tied to Abate. Despite ongoing efforts to locate him, Contreras remains at large and is suspected to have fled the country, defense attorney Scott Taylor stated.