5th March, 2020
Colin Akparanta, a Nigerian-born correctional officer at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, New York, has pleaded guilty for an abusive sexual contact of a female inmate.
Akpranta, 43, pleaded guilty Wednesday before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox, according to an announcement by Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
The Irvington New Jersey based Nigerian pleaded guilty to one count of abusive sexual contact of an inmate, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2244(a)(4), and one count of deprivation of the civil rights of that inmate, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 242.
“In connection with the plea, Akparanta also admitted that he engaged in abusive sexual contact with six additional victims, and engaged in sexual acts with all seven of the victims”, Berman said.
“As he has now admitted, Colin Akparanta abused his position of authority as a correctional officer at the MCC to sexually abuse at least seven inmates whose safety and security he was duty-bound to protect. This Office has prosecuted, and will continue to prosecute, correctional officers who use their positions to engage in criminal conduct, and I encourage anyone with knowledge of this or similar criminal conduct involving correctional officers at the MCC to contact my Office.”
Akparanta was employed as a correctional officer at the MCC in 2004.
The indictment read: “Between in or about late 2012 and in or about April 2018, AKPARANTA used his official position to engage in sexual acts and contact with at least seven female inmates at the MCC while they were under AKPARANTA’s custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority. AKPARANTA digitally penetrated the victims’ vaginas and touched their breasts, buttocks, and/or genitalia. AKPARANTA also had some of the victims touch his penis over his pants.
“In addition, Akparanta smuggled contraband, including, but not limited to, personal hygiene items, makeup, and food into the MCC for some of the victims, and, with respect to at least one of the victims, explicitly conditioned his provision of contraband on the inmate’s continued performance of sexual acts with him. AKPARANTA also asked the victims for their contact information in order to reach them after their release.
Akparanta’s one count of abusive sexual contact carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, and one count of deprivation of civil rights, carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
He will be sentenced on July 8, 2020.