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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Craig Roberston

Fugitive Nicholas Rossi now facing third sexual assault charge in US

Fugitive Nicholas Rossi is now facing a third sexual assault accusation in the US.

A new victim has come forward to claim she was groped by the convicted sex offender who arrived in Glasgow last year after running from the FBI.

The allegation has been added to two charges of rape of two other woman which Rossi is facing ­extradition back to the US for.

The latest hearing in the long-running case took place in Edinburgh yesterday.

All three cases are in the state of Utah and are alleged to have happened in 2008 when Rossi, 35, was living there under the name ­Nicholas Alahverdian.

The latest case is a Class A misdemeanor sexual battery, which is described in Utah as unwanted sexual touching. If found guilty of this charge alone, Rossi could face up to a year in prison or a maximum $2500 fine.

The allegations are outlined in documents submitted to the 4th District Court of Utah this week.

It’s understood the Crown Office in Scotland has been made aware of the new charge so it can be added to the extradition warrant.

(PA)

A police source in Utah said: “A woman has bravely come forward to state that she was the victim of unwanted sexual advances in 2008 and claims ­Alahverdian is responsible. She has seen the publicity around the case and has identified him as the suspect.

“The charge has now been formally submitted to the court and we have informed our colleagues in Scotland about this new allegation.

“It is to be included as part of the extradition process with the other two rape allegations.” They added: “The case for bringing him back to Utah is now very strong.”

American citizen Rossi was arrested in Glasgow last December on an ­international warrant but has tried to claim he is the victim of mistaken identity and is an Irishman called Arthur Knight.

He fled from his home in Rhode Island in 2017 to the UK and in February 2020 he faked his own death in the US – a week after marrying Miranda Knight in her home city of Bristol.

He is currently on remand in prison in Edinburgh while the extradition goes ahead and on Tuesday he was convicted at Glasgow Sheriff Court of abusing two female medical staff.

Despite claiming he needs a wheelchair, the court heard he jumped out of his bed and ran towards them before shouting vile abuse.

Rossi is facing a further police probe over allegations he raped Michelle Minnaar, 41, in Essex in 2017 – the first woman he met after arriving in the UK.

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