In this image made from pool video footage, Nicholas Rossi accused of faking his death and fleeing to Europe to avoid rape charges, appears at a jury trial in Salt Lake City, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (Firecrest Films via AP, Pool)
Share this @internewscast.com
A Rhode Island man accused of faking his death and fleeing the United States to evade rape charges was found guilty late Wednesday of sexually assaulting a former girlfriend in his first of two Utah trials.

An eight-person jury in Salt Lake County found Nicholas Rossi guilty of a 2008 rape after a three-day trial in which his accuser and her parents took the stand.

Rossi, 38, declined to testify on his own behalf. He will be sentenced on October 20 and is set to stand trial in September on another rape charge in Utah County.

In this image made from pool video footage, Nicholas Rossi accused of faking his death and fleeing to Europe to avoid rape charges, appears at a jury trial in Salt Lake City, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. (Firecrest Films via AP, Pool)
An eight-person jury in Salt Lake County found Nicholas Rossi guilty of a 2008 rape after a three-day trial in which his accuser and her parents took the stand. (AP)

The woman was living with her parents and recovering from a traumatic brain injury when she responded to a personal ad Rossi posted on Craigslist. They began dating and were engaged within about two weeks.

She testified Rossi asked her to pay for dates and car repairs, lend him $1,000 so he wouldn’t be evicted, and take on debt to buy their engagement rings.

He grew hostile soon after their engagement and raped her in his bedroom one night after she drove him home, she said.

Deputy Salt Lake County District Attorney Brandon Simmons told jurors Wednesday that the woman did not consent.

“This is not romantic, this is not her mistaking things.”

The woman said her parents’ dismissive comments convinced her not to go to the police.

She came forward a decade later after seeing him in the news and learning he was accused of another rape from the same year.

Rossi’s lawyers said the woman built up years of resentment after he made her foot the bill for everything in their month-long relationship.

They argued she accused him of rape to get back at him years later when he was getting media attention, and sought to undermine her credibility with jurors.

Rossi’s accuser in the Utah County case, who testified at this week’s trial, is also a former girlfriend.

She went to police at the time of that alleged rape.

He is accused of attacking her at his apartment in Orem in September 2008 after she came over to collect money she said he stole from her to buy a computer.

When police initially interviewed Rossi, he claimed she raped him and threatened to have him killed.

Rossi grew up in foster homes in Rhode Island and returned there before allegedly faking his death.

He was previously wanted in the state for failing to register as a sex offender.

The FBI says he faces fraud charges in Ohio, where he was convicted of sex-related charges in 2008.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Israel Mobilizes 60,000 Reservists Following Approval to Invade Gaza City

On Wednesday, Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, sanctioned a plan to take…

Potential Host Countries for a Meeting Between Zelenskyy and Putin

US President Donald Trump’s efforts to mediate a peace agreement ending the…

Daryl Maguire Sentenced to 10 Months in Jail for Providing False Testimony to ICAC

A former MP of high renown has received a jail sentence for…
Children with mild autism to be removed from the NDIS by 2027

Children with Mild Autism Facing Removal from NDIS by 2027

Hundreds of thousands of children with autism will be diverted away from…
Jayda Jorga Jin Phillips, Ember Nirvana Essence Phillips, and Maverick Rusty Callam Phillips have been missing for months in New Zealand.

“Dad Hides Kids in Woods for Three Years: ‘It’s Painful Each Time'”

The kin of a fugitive father who has been concealing his three…

Israel Calls for Immediate Release of Hostages Following Hamas Truce Agreement

A senior Israeli official says the government stands firm on its call…
Man, 83, killed in 'random', 'senseless' alleged stabbing attack

83-Year-Old Man Fatally Injured in Alleged Unprovoked Stabbing Attack

A man has been accused of murder following what the police describe…
A soldier wears a New Zealand army emblem on exercise in the Nausori Highlands in Fiji, Sept. 9, 2022. (Petty Officer Chris Weissenborn/NZ Defence via AP)

New Zealand Soldier Confesses to Espionage in Landmark Case

A New Zealand soldier who attempted to spy for a foreign power…

Court Hears Bruce Lehrmann Referred to as a ‘National Joke’

This article contains references to sexual assault. Federal Court Justice Michael Lee…
This squirrel suffering from squirrelpox was rescued by Halfway Home Wildlife Rehab in Michigan, USA, in July.

‘Squirrels with Bizarre Behavior Found in Backyards and Animal Shelters Across the U.S.’

‘Zombie squirrels’ covered in gory sores have been turning up in backyards…
Allan has committed to implementing all of the recommendations, ensuring a $42 million funding boost to assist the shake-up.

Victorian Government Unveils Major Revamp of Child Safety Measures

The Victorian government has announced a child safety overhaul after an independent…
Minister for Education Jason Clare

List of Childcare Centers Not Meeting National Standards Released

The federal government has followed through on its promise to name and…