Guilty Plea Entered in Rape of Developmentally Disabled Woman

A guilty plea was entered today by a New Rochelle man accused of raping a developmentally disabled woman.

Acting Westchester County District Attorney James A. McCarty said Thursday that Fitton Telesford, 38, of Seventh Street, admitted his guilt to the following charges:

• First-degree attempted rape.
• Second-degree rape.

Both charges are felonies.

On February 7, 2015, Telesford approached a 39-year-old woman who was working at the ShopRite in New Rochelle as a bagger.

The woman is developmentally and physically disabled.

During her lunch break, Telesford identified himself by an assumed name and told her he would take her out for a slice of pizza.

Once in his car, he drove her to an indoor shopping center parking lot.

When they got there, he told the woman to get in the back seat where he raped and sexually assaulted her.

Telesford drove her back to ShopRite where she reported the attack.

New Rochelle police investigated the incident and found DNA evidence that identified Telesford as the assailant and corroborated the sexual assaults.

He was arrested May 4, 2015.

Telesford remains in jail and is due to be sentence June 9, 2016.

The district attorney’s office said he faces between three and a half to 15 years in prison, plus an additional 15 years of post-release supervision.

He will be required to register as a sex offender and could be subject to civil confinement at the end of the prison term.

Photo caption: Fitton Telesford. Photo credit: Courtesy.