Burnsville nursing home aide pleads guilty to sexual assault of elderly woman in his care
BURNSVILLE, Minn. — A nursing home aide has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman under his care at a Burnsville facility.
John Akonkoh, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree. He also entered an Alford plea on a second count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
The 75-year-old victim had been living at Regent of Burnsville since 2018 and had suffered a stroke, leaving her partially paralyzed. She also had dementia, anxiety and depression, documents say.
READ MORE: Aide charged with sexually assaulting elderly woman in nursing home
The victim's sister told WCCO that to help provide more certainty and another layer of protection, she put a camera in her sister's room.
Within days, the video captured an aide, identified as Akonkoh, "fondling [the victim's] genitals" in the morning and again in the evening. A nurse performed a sexual assault examination on Dec. 28, 2022, and Akonkoh was arrested that day while working at the facility.
If the plea agreement is accepted, Akonkoh will be sentenced to 12 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for March 8.
Advocacy Agencies
Sexual Offense Services (SOS - Ramsey County)
Sexual Violence Center (SVC - Hennepin County)
Aurora Center (U of MN)
360 Communities (Dakota County)
Hope Center (Rice County)
Canvas Health (Washington County)
Alexandra House (Anoka County)
General Sites for information related to sexual assault and resources throughout Minnesota
Rape Help Minnesota
Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault
General Sexual Assault Websites
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN)
National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)