Georgia man convicted of stalking 15-year-old girl On Snapchat According to court records, she pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison before the brutal attack in her home.
Zachary Iona, 22, met the victim on a smartphone app in 2022 and lured her until she asked him out.
According to local reports, the man arrived on the scene armed with duct tape, rope and a knife, and gagged the woman and sexually assaulted her before stabbing her 86 times all over her body, including in the face.
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An arrest warrant photo from Gwinnett County, Georgia shows 22-year-old Zachary Aiona, who pleaded guilty last week to seven charges in a brutal attack that left a 15-year-old girl dead. (Gwinnett County)
Iona left the seriously injured girl for dead.
But she had the strength to call 911. She overcame her fear and told the court at Iona’s sentencing that she considers herself lucky to be alive. FOX 5 Atlanta.
Authorities say the app Iona used to find her victim was also used by police to track down the attacker, who found photos of him on her phone and later found evidence in his car, including rolls of duct tape and bloodstains.
Iona pleaded guilty to all seven charges in the indictment on Thursday, including rape, aggravated assault and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony.
As part of the plea agreement, Iona will be released after serving his 35-year sentence, after which he will be eligible for parole and to register as a sex offender for five years, court records show.
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In this photo illustration, the Snapchat social media logo appears on an iPhone screen in front of a computer screen that also displays the Snapchat logo. Authorities say Zachary Aiona lured the 15-year-old victim on the app, then invited him into his home where he assaulted him. (Chesnot/Getty Images)
The terms of the agreement prohibit him from contacting anyone under the age of 18 or even possessing photographs of children.
“This should serve as a warning to young people,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patti Austin-Gatson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “As this case shows, not everyone you encounter on social media has your best interests at heart.”
Social media accounts under Iona’s name show he tried to build an online audience with music and gaming videos, but only had a few hundred followers.
The victim reportedly had to undergo multiple surgeries and physical therapy to regain the ability to walk.
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Experts warn that criminals are meeting child victims on social media and then abducting them in person. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)
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The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children warned of the growing threat of minors being targeted online by strangers.
Staka Shehan, vice president of the group, told FOX 5 they’re seeing more predators abducting child victims in person after meeting them through the app.
“Kids are being seduced,” she said.
She said more girls than boys were victims.
But an increasing number of boys are being targeted by “sex blackmail” via the app, with scammers tricking victims into disclosing nude photos and other personal information in exchange for blackmail money.
