(Lawrenceville, Ga., 05/24/2024) – A Flowery Branch man was sentenced to life today for raping a teenage girl and stabbing her 86 times in Gwinnett County.

Zachary Iona, 22, pled guilty to charges of rape, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, statutory rape, child molestation and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony in Gwinnett County Superior Court. He was given a life sentence – 30 years in prison – followed by five years of parole and mandatory sex offender registration as part of his negotiated plea.

“This should be a warning to our young people to beware,” Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin Gatson said. “As this case demonstrates, not everyone you meet on social media has your best interest at heart.”

The 15-year-old victim met Iona on SnapChat. In February 2022, the teen agreed to allow the defendant to visit her at a home in Hoschton. The defendant arrived with rolls of duct tape, rope and a knife. He bound the teen’s hands and covered her mouth with tape and then raped the teen. During the sexual assault he began stabbing the teen in her face, torso, neck, legs and arms. He then fled.

The teen managed to crawl to her phone and call for help. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors found at least 86 stab and cut wounds on her body. Police were able to identify the defendant from a photo on the teen’s SnapChat. Police searched Iona’s car and found duct tape and rope, as well as blood.

During the plea, the teen told the judge she just graduated from high school and considers it a blessing to be alive. The teen had multiple surgeries and physical therapy and is now able to walk.
The case was prosecuted by the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office Special Victims Unit.