A now-former anesthesiologist in New York state admitted to drugging and sexually abusing his family’s nanny, authorities said.
Paul Giacopelli, who was the chief anesthesiologist at Putnam County Hospital, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Aug. 21 to first-degree sexual abuse and second-degree assault, according to a press release from the Putnam County District Attorney’s Office.
The district attorney’s office said an investigation revealed that Giacopelli “used a chemical” to render his victim unconscious. He then sexually abused her.
According to an indictment obtained by The Journal News, Giacopelli, 60, was accused of sexually abusing the 25-year-old victim, who was later identified as his family’s nanny, four times in December 2023.
The woman claimed she set up a hidden camera in the home on Dec. 29, 2023, after repeatedly waking up to a chemical-soaked rag over her face and losing consciousness, CBS News reports, citing court documents. After watching the footage, which reportedly showed Giacopelli sexually assaulting her, she showed it to authorities, according to the outlet.
Giacopelli was initially arrested on Dec. 30, 2023 by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, per a statement shared at the time.
According to The Journal News, Sheriff’s Investigator Keith Simone testified before a grand jury earlier this year, saying that Giacopelli confessed to fondling the woman after using the anesthetic Sevoflurane on a rag and putting it over the woman’s face until she blacked out.
Simone further testified that Giacopelli also admitted to taking drugs home from the hospital he worked at, having a “chloroform fetish” and that he chose the nanny as his victim because she was the “easiest target,” The Journal News reports.
After his arrest, Giacopelli was barred from practicing medicine by the state Board for Professional Medical Conduct, according to CBS News.
Public court records show Giacopelli is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20 in Putnam County court.
As part of his plea agreement, Giacopelli will be sentenced to four years in state prison with up to 10 years of post-release supervision, the district attorney’s office said. He is also required to register as a sex offender.
“I’m very proud of the work of the Sheriff’s Department and ADA Lynch; but I’m mostly proud of the victim’s courage in going through this process which led to the defendant’s arrest and conviction,” Putnam County District Attorney Robert V. Tendy said.
That sentence is a slap on the hand. He needs to spend at least 15 years behind bars, with a lifetime of supervised release after. He can never be trusted again.