Burnsville nursing home aide sentenced to 12 years for sexually assaulting resident
BURNSVILLE, Minn. — A nursing home aide who sexually assaulted a woman under his care has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison.
A judge sentenced 54-year-old John Akonkoh to 144 months in prison Friday, with conditional release after 10 years. He was convicted of two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with the December 2022 assault at Regent of Burnsville.
According to a criminal complaint, Akonkoh sexually assaulted a 75-year-old woman who was paralyzed on the left side of her body. His crime was discovered when the victim's sister, Christine Mulcahy, placed a camera in her room.
Mulcahy told WCCO she set up the camera after her sister broke her ribs at the facility, and there was a disparity between what her sister told her and what staff at the facility said. Her sister also has dementia.
"I watch that camera every day. Every day," Mulcahy said in April 2023. "I would encourage anyone who has someone in a facility like this to have a camera. Otherwise you don't really know what's going on."
Resources for victims
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)