An anesthesiologist in New York State has pleaded guilty to drugging and sexually abusing his family’s nanny while she was sleeping in his house, according to officials.
Paul Giacopelli, 60, pled guilty Wednesday in front of Putnam County Judge Anthony Molé after being charged by a grand jury in March.
Steven Gaitman, Giacopelli’s attorney, stated that his client “accepted responsibility for his crimes and is now focused on tending to his family.”
According to court documents, the victim worked at Giacopelli’s home in Southeast, Putnam County, caring for his children and occasionally working midnight shifts when Giacopelli was on call at the local hospital.
She told detectives that she fell asleep four times in late 2023, woke up with a rag over her face, smelled chemicals, and blacked out.
On December 29, 2023, the woman set up a covert camera to capture footage of her attacker. After feeling a towel over her face and blacking out, she awoke to see the contents of the camera.
Prosecutors said video images from the camera showed Giacopelli abusing the victim.
The woman presented the video clips to law enforcement, and Giacopelli was detained for questioning by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Keith Simone, a sheriff’s detective, told the grand jury that Giacopelli admitted to stuffing a cloth with Sevoflurane, an anesthetic chemical, and covering the woman’s mouth and nose to make her unconscious.
He confessed to sexually abusing the victim after she blacked out and stated that he had a “chloroform fetish,” Simone testified.
According to Simone, Giacopelli informed detectives that the woman was a “heavy sleeper,” making her an easy target.
Simone claimed Giacopelli admitted to bringing drugs home from the hospital. Simone stated that fentanyl and other drugs were found in the home.
Following Giacopelli’s arrest, the state Board for Professional Medical Conduct prohibited him from practicing medicine. He will be sentenced on November 20 and is anticipated to spend four years in state prison.
