Georgia Man Gets Life for SNAPCHAT STALKING and Near-fatal ATTACK on 15-year-old Girl
A Georgia man suspected of following a 15-year-old girl on Snapchat before violently beating her in her family’s house has been sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty, according to court records.
Zachary Iona, 22, met the victim using a smartphone app in 2022 and groomed her until she invited him home.
According to local sources, he arrived with duct tape, rope, and a knife, then gagged and sexually attacked her before slashing her 86 times throughout her body, including her face. Iona abandoned the seriously injured girl for dead.
However, she dared to dial 911. She survived the tragedy and spoke at Iona’s sentence, telling the court that she feels herself fortunate to be alive, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. According to authorities, the app Iona used to find his victim also helped police locate him. They spotted a photo of him on her phone. They then discovered evidence in his car, such as a roll of duct tape and blood.
On Thursday, Iona pleaded guilty to all seven counts of the indictment. The charges included rape, serious assault, and carrying a knife while committing a felony.
According to court documents, Iona will be eligible for release after 35 years in prison, five years on parole, and registration as a sex offender as part of a plea agreement. The rules of the agreement also prohibit him from contacting anyone under the age of 18 or owning images of youngsters.
“This should be a warning to our young people to beware,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “As this case demonstrates, not everyone you meet on social media has your best interest at heart.”
Iona’s social media accounts suggest that he attempted to acquire an online audience with music and gaming videos, but only had a few hundred followers.
The woman reportedly had to go through several operations and physical rehabilitation to regain her ability to walk. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has issued a warning about a growing hazard to youngsters targeted online by strangers.
Stacia Shehan, the organization’s vice president, told FOX 5 that predators are increasingly picking up their minor victims in person after meeting them online.
“Children are being enticed,” she explained.
According to her, the victims are more typically female than male.
However, boys are increasingly being targeted for “sextortion” scams via the app. Crooks coerce victims into giving personal information, including naked images, before threatening and demanding money.