A former Rye building superintendent who pleaded guilty to breaking into an apartment and engaging in sex acts with a dog was sentenced Tuesday to six and a half years in state prison and seven years probation today in Westchester County Court in White Plains.
Kujtim Nicaj, 44, of 58 C Peck Ave., pleaded guilty in October to charges resulting from a Feb. 8 incident at Rye Colony Cooperative Apartments. He plead guilty to:
- one count of second-degree burglary as a sexually motivated felony, a class “C” violent felony.
- one count of sexual misconduct, a class “A” misdemeanor.
DiFiore said Nicaj, who at the time was superintendent at Rye Colony Cooperative Apartments, entered the victim’s apartment without authorization. While inside, the Nicaj engaged in multiple sex acts with the owner’s 15-month-old Labrador retriever dog, according to the indictment.
DiFiore said the conduct was recorded on "nanny cam"-type device, which the homeowner had previously set up.
The Rye City police were notified about the recorded incident and Nicaj was questioned and then arrested by Rye City police.
“This defendant engaged in behavior that is not only reprehensible but also was abusive to someone’s pet,” said District Attorney Janet DiFiore after the defendant’s guilty plea. “Taking advantage of a helpless animal is an act of depravity which has often been a predictor of violence against humans.”
Upon completion of his sentence, the Nicaj will have to register as a sex offender under the New York State Sex Offender Registry Act.
Assistant District Attorney Wendy Parra of the Sex Crimes Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Mary Ann Liebowitz of the Investigations Division, Animal Cruelty Unit prosecuted the case.
