PROVO, Utah — For the second time in two weeks, Nicholas Rossi was sentenced to serve 5 years to life in prison after being convicted of the 2008 rape of his ex-girlfriend in Orem.
It's the second time Rossi has been sentenced for crimes that occurred in 2008. On Oct. 20, he was sentenced to 5 years to life in prison after he was found guilty of the rape of a Salt Lake County woman.
The sentences will run consecutively.
This sentence is a significant victory for the victim in this case, and for
sexual assault victims across the state,” said prosecutor Stephen Jones. “While every case is unique, this case is proof that juries can and will convict based on a victim’s report."
Shortly after Tuesday's sentencing began, Rossi asked for time to speak to his counsel, and the hearing was paused until it resumed just before 9:30 a.m.
During the trial in which Rossi faced the second sentence, his ex-girlfriend claimed she ended a relationship with him over his aggressive behavior and failure to pay her the money he had borrowed.
Rossi speaks on his own behalf during sentencing hearing in video below:
Rossi had the woman come to his house in September 2008 under the pretense of repaying her the money, but instead raped her.
Although the rape occurred in 2008, a backlog in testing did not identify Rossi as the suspect until years later, and he wasn't charged until 2020.
While denying he was the man authorities were looking for, Rossi fled to the United Kingdom and lived under the name Arthur Knight before being extradited from Scotland back to the United States.
