Andrew Cuomo: Former New York Governor charged with a misdemeanor for alleged sex crime | US news

[ad_1]

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has been charged with a misdemeanor relating to an alleged sexual offense.

Lucien Chalvin, a spokesman for the New York state courts, said a misdemeanor complaint had been filed against Cuomo in the state capital Albany.

“Since this is a sexual offence, a revised complaint will be available soon,” he added in an emailed statement.

Please use Chrome browser for an accessible video player

From August: New York governor resigns after allegations of harassment

Cuomo’s spokesmen could not immediately be reached for comment, but the former New York governor has denied any wrongdoing.

The court provided Sky News’ partner NBC News with a copy of the criminal complaint against Cuomo – which says he was charged with involuntary touching that allegedly occurred on December 7, 2020.

The incident is said to have occurred between 3:51 p.m. and 4:07 p.m. on the second floor of what was Cuomo’s official residence at the time.

The complaint says Cuomo has been charged with a “misdemeanor of the first degree” where a person is “guilty of forcible contact when that person willfully, and not for any lawful purpose, forcibly touches the sexual or other intimate parts of another person with the purpose of insulting or offending that person, or for the gratification of The sexual desire of the actor.

The investigator for the Albany County Sheriff’s Office says in her complaint that the information used to charge Cuomo included the New York State Police’s BlackBerry PIN messages and testimony from an individual that was deleted by the attorney general’s office.

Also among the information used is a text message from Cuomo’s mobile phone.

She was sworn in on Monday this week and presented to court on Thursday.

Please use Chrome browser for an accessible video player

Cuomo’s accused waives the right to remain anonymous

Cuomo, 63, resigned as governor in August after 10 and a half years in office.

His departure came after an investigation found that he had touched or kissed 11 women or made suggestive comments in violation of the law, prompting the Public Prosecution Office to open a criminal investigation.

US President Joe Biden was among those calling for him to resign in the wake of the report’s publication.

In a televised address, Cuomo denied any wrongdoing – but said he accepted “full responsibility” for offending women through what he said were attempts to express tenderness or humor.

He said fighting the allegations while he was in office would have paralyzed the state government.

If he had not resigned, he would have likely faced impeachment in the state legislature.

Cuomo has seen a stunning decline from grace, having previously received widespread national acclaim for how he led New York during the coronavirus pandemic.

[ad_2]