Alleged dance studio rapist made ‘obscene’ calls before attack
Only one woman out of dozens targeted in sick phone calls by a convicted sex offender who later allegedly attacked a seven-year-old girl reported them to police, it is claimed.
Only one woman out of dozens targeted in sick phone calls by a convicted sex offender who later allegedly attacked a seven-year-old girl reported them to police, it is claimed.
Anthony Sampieri, 55, has been charged with making 87 “obscene” and “offensive” phone calls in the three months leading up to when he allegedly choked a little girl in the Kogarah Dance Studio toilet until she was “incapable of resistance” on November 15.
Court documents allege that Sampieri used his mobile phone to make the calls up to 15 times in a single day.
His alleged spree started on August 13 and continued until November 15 — the day of the alleged attack.
According to the court charge sheet, he made three calls between 3.18pm and 3.23pm that day on his mobile phone while in Kogarah.
He is accused of walking into the dance studio and allegedly raping the girl at 7.30pm.
That month he made 13 phone calls, while in September he made 47 calls which police allege a reasonable person would find “offensive”.
All phone calls were allegedly made in Kogarah, with the exception of one made in Caringbah.
Detectives laid the 87 charges of using a carriage service to menace, harass or offend on Monday after visiting Sampieri at Silverwater Correctional Centre — bringing his total tally of charges to 98.
Sampieri did not appear via video link during a brief 30-second mention at Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday morning.
His legal aid lawyer Christina Vassiliou did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.
Police bail documents say the prosecution case against Sampieri is strong in relation to the phone calls.
“The accused is currently before the court for sexual assault offences,” they say.
“He has an extensive criminal history relating to sexual offences … He has no community ties … all offences are of a sexual nature.”
Sampieri was last year charged with sexual intercourse with a child under 10 on November 15 before local dentist Jeffrey Stack and Nicola “Nick” Gilio allegedly confronted and detained him.
Sampieri is then accused of stabbing Mr Gilio in the melee.
He is also charged with stabbing the girl’s mother in the hand with a scalpel as she helped rescue her daughter alongside the two men.
Afterwards a senior constable was stood down pending an investigation as it emerged police did not arrest Sampieri when he was reported for allegedly making obscene phone calls just weeks before the Kogarah attack.
In another apparent bungle, parole officers also did not revoke his parole when he allegedly told them he was using the drug ice.
Sampieri now faces becoming the first person to be jailed for life if convicted of having sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 10 after the maximum sentence was increased from 25 years in 2015.
He will next front court on January 23 for all outstanding charges to be dealt with together.
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