Repeat Sex Offender Accused of Assaulting NYU Student
A 45-year-old man, accused of striking a New York University student on the backside and pushing her to the ground, has a history of sexual offenses. He was paroled just last month.
James Rizzo faced arraignment on Wednesday night in Manhattan’s criminal court, as reported by local news outlets.
“I informed NYU security to make sure other students were aware that this man was targeting women,” a victim remarked.
Rizzo has an extensive criminal background, with 16 arrests on record. As a Level 2 sex offender, he was released on parole in September after serving time for sexual abuse. Authorities noted that he continued to attack women even while on parole.
During his court appearance, Rizzo appeared indifferent as he pleaded not guilty to three counts of assault. These charges involve female victims. The judge has ordered him to return to court next week.
The incident involving Rizzo occurred in Greenwich Village on a Monday. Surveillance footage captured NYU student Amelia Lewis walking to her class when Rizzo allegedly slapped her behind and shoved her to the ground.
Lewis, who is 20, discussed the incident on a podcast. “I wanted to make sure this was reported, so after calling the police, I told NYU security to alert students about this man,” she stated, adding that security mentioned they had seen a man with a blue towel around his neck.
Rizzo’s criminal activities date back to the 1990s, with one of the more notorious incidents being the stabbing of a 74-year-old woman during a robbery in Brooklyn.
Reportedly, in June 1997, Rizzo broke into a home, assaulted the resident, and vandalized the property. Neighbors found the elderly woman injured inside after the attack.
Rizzo was arrested and charged with attempted murder but later pleaded guilty to robbery and received a sentence of up to 54 months in prison.
More recently, it came to light that in December 2023, Rizzo randomly punched a 59-year-old woman in the street and had other allegations against him for inappropriate touching of a 33-year-old woman, during which he reportedly asked, “Oh, you want more?”
On Thanksgiving Day, he also attacked a 68-year-old woman, pushing her into a glass window, which resulted in significant injuries.
