Westchester author and admitted 'dirty old man' guilty in sex rap
Saturday, June 4th 2011, 4:00 AM
Westchester author and admitted 'dirty old man' guilty in sex rap
A Westchester author and admitted "dirty old man" was convicted in abstentia Friday of sexually abusing five foreign women he hired to work as personal assistants.
Joseph Yannai, 67, listened to the verdict on speaker phone from his hospital bed where he is recovering from a suicide attempt earlier this week.
Defense lawyers acknowledged that Yannai told the women up front what he expected of them.
The victims testified they were groped and fondled by Yannai in his Pound Ridge home. Their duties included giving him bubble baths and getting into bed with him after his afternoon nap in which he slept in the nude.
Yannai faces up to 80 years in prison for the sex crimes and violations of federal labor laws.