A 54-year-old man will face a court accused of having sexual intercourse with a seven-year-old girl in a dance studio toilet in Sydney’s south earlier this month.
Police will allege that Anthony Sampieri, 54, physically and sexually assaulted the girl in the bathroom of a Kogarah dance studio, assaulting a man and stabbing another who came to her aid.
About 7.55pm on Thursday November 15, two men confronted and attempted to detain Sampieri after concerns were raised for the girl’s welfare.
A struggle ensued, where one of the men was left with several stab wounds and Sampieri was taken to hospital, where he remained under police guard and in the custody of Corrective Services NSW during treatment.
Anthony Sampieri (right) will face more than 10 charges after he was arrested by detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad at Maroubra Police Station on Sunday afternoon
The 54-year-old physically and sexually assaulted the girl in the bathroom of a Kogarah dance studio, assaulting a man and stabbing another who came to her aid, police will allege (pictured is the studio’s bathroom)
After being deemed fit by doctors, Sampieri was transported to Maroubra Police Station on Sunday afternoon where he was arrested by detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad.
An investigation led by detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad under Strike Force Berliet resulted in a string of charges.
Among the charges are sexual intercourse with a child under 10 years old, wounding or grievous bodily harm with intent, aggravated kidnapping and attempting, or assaulting with intent, to have sexual intercourse with a child under ten.
Additional charges included choking a person with an intent to commit indictable offence, using a child under 14 to make child abuse material, aggravated act of indecency being filmed, aggravated indecent assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The man was refused bail to appear at Waverly Local Court via video link on Monday.
Investigations under Strike Force Berliet are continuing.
Sampieri (left), who had been under police guard in hospital, was transferred to the police station just before 4pm after doctors determined he was fit to be released
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told the media on Sunday that his ‘number one priority is making sure (the accused) dies in jail’.
‘I will make sure that the investigation, that all of the evidence that goes before the court, sees him never back on our streets again,’ Commissioner Fuller said.
Appearing alongside NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Police Minister Troy Grant, Mr Fuller was asked whether a GPS tracking device would have deterred the alleged attack.
‘We’re supposed to protect victims and if a victim comes forward we take a statement and if we can make an arrest, we make an arrest,’ he said.
The arrest occurred on the same day NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller (pictured) told reporters he would ensure the alleged offender ‘dies in jail’
The alleged attacker is accused of sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl in a dance studio bathroom
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