DA: Lower Hudson Valley Cop Sexually Assaulted Woman On Duty
A lower Hudson Valley police officer is accused of sexually abusing a woman while on duty.
Peekskill Police Officer Michael Agovino, 33, was arrested Saturday and charged with first-degree sexual abuse, first-degree stalking and second-degree burglary, the New York Post reports.
Agovino, who lives in Rockland County, met a woman on July 9 during a larceny investigation "allegedly perpetrated by the victim," accused her of stealing money, demanded he entered her apartment and sexually assaulted her inside her home, a criminal complaint states, according to NBC.
"Police Officer Michael Agovino has been arrested and charged with several crimes alleged to have occurred while he was on duty. The City of Peekskill Police Department is fully cooperating with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office's investigation into these allegations. Officer Agovino has been placed on Administrative Leave until further notice," City of Peekskill Police Department said after Agovino's arrest.
Agovino is accused of going back to the woman's apartment several times between July 9, 2019, and Jan. 22, 2020 and threatened to arrest her if she didn't continue to perform sexual acts. Documents show one of their interactions in January was recorded.
"It’s an embarrassment to our police department and our entire city as a whole. This behavior makes me sick and is intolerable. It was completely inappropriate and clearly unprofessional. There is no situation where this type of behavior is acceptable. We read and hear stories of police officers all over the world and we pray it never comes this close to our city and our community. This is a terrifying situation, beyond upsetting, especially with all the great news coming out of our city lately. In Peekskill, we expect our employees, in law enforcement especially, to maintain their professionalism and proper training at all times. We expect them to protect and respect, not take advantage of and intimidate," Peekskill Mayor Andre Rainey said.