Man Accused of Touching Boy's Genitals at Rockaway Mall Not Fit To Stand Trial

ROCKAWAY, NJ— A man who was indicted on sex abuse and kidnapping charges for touching boys genitals at Rockaway Townsquare Mall and Target has been found not competent to stand trial.

Kyriakos Serghides, 35, was found incompetent to help in his own defence by a psychiatrist, the Daily Record reported. That same doctor said medication for bipolar type disorder could make him fit to take the stand.

"It was a false arrest. I have a right to a speedy trial - that's non-negotiable," the Daily Record reported Serghides as saying.

Serghides has refused medication, but still wants a speedy trial. Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Justin Tellone said he should be forcibly medicated.

The Rockaway man was first arrested in Sept. 2015 for attempting to kidnap a 5-year-old from a Target in the Rockaway Mall, Patch reported. He was charged at that time with touching another boy's genitals in the food court bathroom that August.

Later that September, another boy told police Serghides had touched his genitals in the same food court bathroom, Patch reported.

These incidents were not Serghides' first encounters with law enforcement. He was charged in 2013 with criminal mischief and possession of marijuana stemming from an incident at a gas station in Madison, and two charges of threats to kill in Essex County in 2011.

In the Rockaway Mall incidents, Serghides was indicted in Sept. 2016 for attempted kidnapping, luring, sexual assault, terroristic threats, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child. Serghides bail was set a $600,000 total for the three incidents.

Anyone with information relating to these incidents should contact Detective Supervisor Marshall Wang of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit at 973-285-6200, or Detective Thomas Takacs of the Rockaway Township Police Department at 973-625-4000.

Image via Morris County Prosecutors Office