By Leslie Albrecht
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — The man accused of raping a Russian tourist in Riverside Park and harrassing women on the Upper West Side may have also attacked women in Washington, D.C., prosecutors said.
They're expanding their probe of alleged rapist Hugues-Denver Akassy to the D.C. area, asking anyone who made have had contact with Akassy to contact the Manhattan Sex Crimes Unit.
Some past victims already have, prosecutors said.
Since the publicity surrounding Akassy's arrest in New York, prosecutors say they've received calls from people in the D.C. area who say they recognize him from photos and had encounters with him in Washington.
That could mean sex crimes charges will be filed against Akassy in D.C., prosecutors said.
Akassy, 42, who claims to be a French journalist, was indicted Tuesday on charges related to an attack on a Russian tourist in Riverside Park on July 27.
Akassy lived in Washington, D.C. for several years and was arrested several times there, public records show, but none of the arrests were for sex crimes.
People who knew Akassy in Washington, D.C. told DNAinfo he was charming and handsome. He rented an apartment in one of Washington's most exclusive neighborhoods, according to people who knew Akassy in D.C.
Akassy had several run-ins with Upper West Side women in the past two years, according to criminal complaints filed by the Manhattan District Attorney's office.
