Accused dance studio rapist Anthony Sampieri has 21 charges dropped

The man accused of raping a schoolgirl in the men’s toilets of a Kogarah dance studio last year had 21 of the dozens of charges against him dropped in court today.

• Rapist should have been charged, police say
• Alleged Sampieri phone victim speaks out

The man accused of raping a schoolgirl in the men’s toilets of a Kogarah dance studio had 21 of the dozens of charges against him dropped in court today.

Anthony Sampieri, 55, appeared via videolink from Silverwater Jail where he has grown a long grey beard since his arrest in November last year after his alleged attack on the seven-year-old girl.

Anthony Sampieri has had 21 charges dropped. Picture: Hollie Adams

Police later charged him with over 100 counts of making sick phone calls to women, three of them made on the same day he is accused of assaulting the girl.

Central Local Court was told today that the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions was withdrawing 21 of the charges relating to the harassing phone calls that began in August last year. No reason was given.

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A seven-year-old was allegedly attack at the dance studio.

Sampieri, who allegedly sexually assaulted the schoolgirl, still faces 15 charges relating to the attack on the girl including making a sex film and assaulting her mother and wounding a man when they went to help her.

He is also still facing over 80 counts of making the phone calls with intent to harass or menace.

A leading senior constable is due to face court next month after being charged with neglect of duty over one of the offensive phone calls.

Anthony Sampieri was arrested in November over the alleged attack. Picture: Damian Hoffman

He was charged after an internal police investigation revealed a woman filed a complaint at St George Police Station in October last year about receiving a call from Sampieri.

Sampieri was called to the station and interviewed by police while the senior constable allegedly did a search on his name in the police computer and discovered it was red-flagged.

Sampieri was allowed to leave the police station.

Magistrate Robert Williams today adjourned Sampieri’s case to July 10. He remains in custody.