Former UN employee gets 15-year prison sentence for multiple sexual assaults

CNN —

A former United Nations communications specialist in Iraq, whom authorities say drugged 20 victims and sexually assaulted at least 13 of those victims over a nearly two-decade period, was sentenced Thursday in a Manhattan federal court to 15 years in prison.

Karim Elkorany, 39, pleaded guilty on May 24 to sexually assaulting an internationally protected person and making false statements to cover up another sexual assault, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). As part of a plea agreement, he then admitted to drugging and in some cases sexually assaulting over a dozen additional victims, prosecutors said.

Karim Elkorany perpetrated monstrous acts against multiple women over nearly two decades, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said. Elkorany was held accountable by the Court and also by his victims, a number of whom confronted him with powerful statements about the grievous harm he caused through his horrific conduct.

Elkorany has also been sentenced to three years of supervised release and has been ordered to pay restitution in amounts to be determined, the statement said.