On Friday, July 28, 2023, a Schenectady County Jury convicted Nikos Assimakopoulos [dob 5/1/1998], a resident of the City of Albany of two felonies and one misdemeanor. Mr. Assimakopoulos was convicted of one count of Rape in the Third Degree, a class E felony in violation of New York State Penal Law Section 130.25[2]; one count of Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree, a class E felony in violation of New York State Penal Law Section 130.40[2]; and one count of Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class A misdemeanor in violation of New York State Penal Law Section 260.10[1]. The trial began on Monday, July 24, 2023, in Schenectady County Court. The jury acquitted the defendant of one additional count of Rape in the Third Degree and two additional counts of Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree.
The jury convicted Mr. Assimakopoulos, of engaging in an improper online sexualized relationship with a then 16-year-old female, that led to meeting the victim in person and engaging in oral sex and sexual intercourse with her in early December 2019. The crimes occurred in the Town of Niskayuna. Mr. Assimakopoulos, who at the time was 21-years old, reached out to a child previously known to him in late November 2019, soliciting a sexual relationship with the 16-year-old over social media. Mr. Assimakopoulos convinced the victim to meet him in person and repeatedly engaged in sexual acts with her. The contact persisted past the point of her 17th birthday. In New York State the age of consent is seventeen [17], meaning all contact after her 17th birthday was not criminal but contact prior to was criminal.
The investigation began in March 2021, when the victim reported the existence and scope of the relationship to the Niskayuna Police Department. The victim indicated that the primary reason she elected to alert authorities was because Mr. Assimakopoulos was working as a teacher at Catholic Central High School in Troy, New York, by the time she reported the relationship to the police. At the time of the actual criminal sexual relationship, Mr. Assimakopoulos was pursuing a degree and career in English Education from the College of Saint Rose.
Detective Paul Daly of the Niskayuna Police Department investigated the case. In addition to obtaining a statement and corroborating texts from the victim, Detective Daly corroborated her version of events by obtaining copies of conversations from Instagram between the victim and Mr. Assimakopoulos.
Mr. Assimakopoulos faces a maximum of eight [8] years in prison and up to ten [10] years of post-release supervision, commonly referred to as parole. Additionally, Mr. Assimakopoulos will be required to register as a sex offender for at least twenty [20] years. Mr. Assimakopoulos will be sentenced in Schenectady County Court on September 22, 2023. Schenectady County Court Judge, Hon. Matthew J. Sypniewski, presided. The case was prosecuted by Special Victim’s Bureau Chief John J. Carson for the Schenectady County District Attorney’s Office. Mr. Assimakopoulos was represented by Nicholas J. Evanovich III, an attorney from the firm, LaMarche Safranko Law.