Archie Anastasopoulos: Former eastern suburbs real estate agent sentenced for sexually touching, exposing himself, stalking women

A former real estate agent from Sydney’s eastern suburbs embarked on a ‘predatory campaign’, exploiting three isolated young women in the early hours of the morning. He broke down as he was sentenced in court.

Former real estate agent Archie Anastasopoulos. Picture: Supplied

A former eastern suburbs real estate agent covered a woman’s mouth to stop her from screaming, groped her breasts and told her “let’s have sex” only days after masturbating behind another woman.

They were two of three separate incidents which Magistrate Sean Hughes described as a “predatory campaign of identifying and exploiting” young isolated women in the early hours of the morning.

Archie Anastasopoulos broke down in tears as he was sentenced to two years and two months jail at Downing Centre Local Court.

The 36-year-old had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually touching another person without consent, carrying out a sexual act with another person without their consent, exposing oneself in a public place and two counts of stalking or intimidating.

Agreed facts reveal Anastasopoulos’ offending took place on three separate days in March last year at Bondi Beach where he preyed on women after they exited a bus.

The first woman got off a bus about 2am on March 9 on Campbell Pde at Bondi Beach Public School.

Anastasopoulos exited his rented car and ran after her with CCTV footage depicting him “following closely behind” while masturbating.

Downing Centre Local Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

He grabbed her buttocks before being pushed away and told to “f--k off”, with Anastasopoulos replying: “Oh I thought you were keen”.

She saw him “holding his exposed penis in his hand” before running away.

Anastasopoulos returned the next day to the same spot with the second woman exiting a bus at 2.30am.

CCTV showed he had his “hands in front of his body at his groin area, with his right hand moving back and forth, in the same manner” from a day earlier.

Anastasopoulos continued to follow, even crossing to the opposite side of the street with the woman becoming “fearful” and screaming before he left.

Exactly a week later, he returned to the same spot with the third woman getting off a bus about 3.30am.

CCTV depicts Anastasopoulos running after the woman before ducking behind a car and pretending to tie his shoelaces.

He later told the woman he had been drinking with friends and she was “so beautiful”.

Anastasopoulos then grabbed her left shoulder before being told to leave her alone.

He followed her again and said “let’s have sex” twice before grabbing her buttocks with both hands multiple times.

Anastasopoulos grabbed both her shoulders and pulled her into his body and later groped her breasts with both hands.

He then pushed the woman up against a wall with the woman screaming because she feared she was about to be raped. Anastasopoulos covered her mouth before the woman broke free and ran home.

Anastasopoulos was stopped the following day and was arrested and taken to Waverley police station.

His lawyer Louis Angelovski told the court his client had spent just over seven months in custody on remand.

Mr Angelovski said he had a clean record and the offences happened in a “short space of time”.

Mr Angelovski ultimately submitted his client had made active steps towards rehabilitation, the offending was “out of character” and he was “ashamed” of himself.

The court heard Anastasopoulos was under a “high level of stress” at the time.

Mr Hughes noted material submitted by Mr Angelovski which pointed to his client being an “intelligent man”, having worked in both finance and real estate.

Mr Hughes sentenced Anastasopoulos to two years and two months in jail with a 15-month non-parole period. He will be eligible for release in April next year.