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Raphael Caccioppoli
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Sexual violation and indecencies (13 charges) against three boys aged 10 and 12 dating back to 1999
Also an indecent act with a dog in 2006 and two assault charges against an Invercargill couple in 2007
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none known
Born 1971
Unknown
Was sentenced to just 5 years in July 2008
Will have since been approved parole
Background
Otago Daily Times story here
Friday, 13th June 2008
A man who was working as a judicial officer in Invercargill has been convicted on sex charges against young boys and a bull mastiff. Tenancy tribunal adjudicator and disputes tribunal referee Raphael Giuseppi Caccioppoli, 36, admitted 13 charges before Judge John MacDonald in Invercargill District Court today. The guilty pleas came after amendments to seven of the 19 charges and six charges were withdrawn.
Caccioppoli admitted 10 historic charges against three male victims, including a 10-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy, dating back to 1990, performing an indecent act with a bull mastiff in 2006 and two charges of assault in Invercargill, last year. The indecent act with the dog happened in August 2006, police prosecutor Sergeant Glen McMurdo said. Caccioppoli was boarding at a house in the Otahuti- Drummond area when he placed peanut butter on his genitals and had the house owner's three-year-old bull mastiff lick it off, he said.
When spoken to by police, Caccioppoli admitted the majority of the offending and said he had been the victim of sexual abuse himself and had made the decision to abuse his victims, Mr McMurdo read from the summary of facts. Judge MacDonald convicted Caccioppoli on all charges and remanded him in custody to reappear for sentence on July 8. Caccioppoli is a Waikato University-qualified barrister and solicitor with links to the Mormon Church and is an accomplished tenor.
A police investigation into Tenancy Tribunal adjudicator and Disputes Tribunal referee Caccioppoli started last September after a tip from an associate, said the officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Constable Chris Lucy, of Invercargill CIB, Seven of the charges related to one victim and to incidents that began in Wainuomata in 2003, continuing through to 2005 when the last offence allegedly occurred in Christchurch.
The assault charges and that relating to the dog happened in Southland in 2006 and last year. Police did not solicit complaints and were only dealing with those that had been made, making it impossible to speculate as to the extent of Caccioppoli's offending or whether there were other potential victims, Mr Lucy said.
From the Sunday Star Times 25th May 2008
A police investigation into the Justice Ministry judicial officer facing indecency and sex charges against young boys and a bull mastiff could widen to Australia as publicity surrounding the case spreads. By all accounts Raphael Giuseppi Caccioppoli, 36 known as "Raffy" to family and friends was a God-loving, law-abiding citizen. The Waikato University-qualified lawyer, who was educated at the Latter Day Saints-run Church College of New Zealand, ruled on cases in the Tenancy and Disputes Tribunals in Invercargill. He's also been described as a "greatly accomplished" tenor and performed in a concert at Invercargill's First Church last weekend.
But Caccioppoli's life came crashing down last Monday when he appeared in the Invercargill District Court. Of the 17 charges he faces, 12 relate to alleged sexual offending against two boys aged under 13, between 1998 and 2005 at Wainuiomata, Ngaruawahia and Christchurch. A charge of an indecent act with a bull mastiff relates to an incident near Invercargill between August 2006 and September 2007. He is also accused of assaulting a man and woman last year.
But police allege Caccioppoli's offending began long before that. Two charges go back to 1990 when Caccioppoli would have been about 19. It is alleged he indecently assaulted another male teenager who was aged 18 at the time. Some of the victims are understood to have links to the Latter Day Saints.
Detective Constable Chris Lucy said Invercargill police began investigating Caccioppoli about six months ago following a tip-off from one of his associates. The trail took them to the alleged victims in the North Island where most of the alleged offending took place. But the police investigation could spread to Australia if new information comes to light following Caccioppoli's arrest. Lucy said police were aware he had spent time living and working there.
Sunday Star-Times investigations show Caccioppoli has been a committed church member and Christian during the past 18 years, despite his alleged offending. In 2000 he posted a message on the website of an American author who had written about her near-death experience. Caccioppoli, using his Waikato University email address, wrote: "The experiences that are recorded in your book Embraced by the Light came as an answer to prayer. The night before I learnt of your book, I had prayed and asked Heavenly Father, `What is the importance of love?"' Caccioppoli, who has a Bebo profile "Ruff Daddy", resigned from his job presiding over tribunals as soon as the allegations came to light last week.
He began work in Invercargill as a disputes referee in January 2006 and as a tenancy adjudicator in April 2006, following a stint as a case manager at Wellington Tribunals between July 2005 and January 2006. Caccioppoli and his wife also lived for a time in Australia, where he worked for a law firm in New South Wales. It is believed the couple, who have two children, have been separated for some time. Caccioppoli entered no pleas during his court appearance on Monday and was remanded on bail to June 13.
From the Southland Times 21st May 2008
AN INVERCARGILL judicial officer facing historic sex allegations dating back to 1990 worked for the Justice Ministry for three years before his arrest.
Raphael Giuseppi Caccioppoli, 37, faced 17 charges in the Invercargill District Court on Monday, including alleged indecency and sexual violation offences against boys aged under 13. Fourteen charges related to alleged offending between 1990 and 2005 against three boys in Wainuiomata, Ngaruawahia and Christchurch. A charge of doing an indecent act with a bull mastiff dog related to an incident near Invercargill between August 2006 and September 2007.
He also faces two charges of assault against a man and a woman in Invercargill in July last year. Caccioppoli was remanded on bail to reappear in court on June 13. His lawyer, Bill Dawkins, said pleas to the charges would be considered. A Justice Ministry spokeswoman said yesterday Caccioppoli had resigned from work presiding over tribunals as soon as the allegations came to light.
The barrister and solicitor began work in Invercargill as a disputes referee in January 2006 and as a tenancy adjudicator in April 2006, she said. He had worked with the Justice Ministry as a case manager at Wellington Tribunals from July 2005 to January 2006 before his move south. The ministry had advised the relevant ministers' offices and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for their information on the usual "no surprises basis" when it was told Caccioppoli was resigning and the criminal charges were pending, she said.
Caccioppoli was paid $460 per sitting day. The Southland Times understands he led the Tenancy Tribunal every Monday and the Disputes Tribunal on Thursdays during his tenure in Invercargill.
From the Southland Times 20th May 2008
An Invercargill judicial officer has appeared in court on indecency and sex charges against young boys and a bull mastiff. Tenancy tribunal adjudicator and disputes tribunal referee Raphael Giuseppi Caccioppoli, 37, made a brief appearance before Judge Brian Callaghan in the Invercargill District Court following his arrest on 17 charges yesterday. Caccioppoli faces 14 historic charges against three boys aged under 13 dating back to 1990. Included in the charges are two indecent assaults on a boy alleged to have happened in Wainuiomata in October 1990 and performing two indecent acts on another boy in Ngaruawhahia in 1998.
Eleven charges of sexual and attempted sexual violation and indecency relate to a boy aged under 11 when the incidents in began in Wainuomata in 2003 continuing through to 2005 when the last offence allegedly occurred in Christchurch. Caccioppoli also faces a charge of committing an indecent act with a bull mastiff dog alleged to have happened at Otahuti, near Invercargill between August 2006 and September 2007 and two charges of assault against a man and a woman in Invercargill in July, last year. Caccioppoli's lawyer Bill Dawkins told the court, since the charges had just been laid against his client, time was needed to consider pleas to the charges. He made an application for bail on behalf of his client and said while he understood police did not oppose bail they were to impose conditions.
Police Prosecutor Sergeant Denise Harvey said police sought to have Caccioppoli's passport taken from him, an order for him not to be alone with any children aged 13 or under and not to associate with any of his alleged victims. Judge Callahan imposed those conditions and remanded Caccioppoli on bail to reappear in the Invercargill District Court on June 13. No application for name suppression was made yesterday, but the Southland Times understand Caccioppoli is one of only three judicial officers employed in Southland. A Ministry of Justice spokeswoman said the ministry could provide no details of Caccioppoli's work history yesterday, but said he had resigned as soon as the allegations came to light.
She hoped to be able to answer The Southland Times' questions today. The Ministry had advised the relevant Ministers' offices and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for their information on the usual ``no surprises basis'' when the Ministry was informed Caccioppoli was resigning and the criminal charges were pending, she said. According to the Ministry's website adjudicators are impartial and independent judicial officers. Most are lawyers. The Governor-General on the recommendation of the Ministers of Justice and Housing appoints them.
In the disputes tribunal jurisdiction, referee are carefully selected and trained, the website says. An accomplished tenor, Caccioppoli performed in a concert at First Church in Invercargill on Sunday. A profile on social networking website Old Friends says Caccioppoli is a barrister, solicitor and judicial officer on tribunals. It also says he is father to a son and a daughter.
