TROY, NY – A Turkish national is facing serious charges after allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl in New York. Sakir Akkan, 21, is accused of forcing the teenager into his car and assaulting her after threatening her with a pipe, according to local authorities.
The incident reportedly occurred on May 14, but Akkan evaded capture until June 18. He was eventually apprehended by Border Patrol agents in November 2023 at the U.S.-Mexico border in California. After his release into the U.S. interior, he acquired a New Jersey driver’s license and relocated to Troy, New York.
According to an incident report, Akkan allegedly coerced the girl into his green Toyota Prius, where he forcibly removed her clothes and raped her despite her attempts to resist. He is currently being held without bail in an Albany jail and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
Court documents reveal that Akkan had been stopped for a traffic violation in a different jurisdiction just 12 days before his arrest. He has pleaded not guilty to the first-degree rape charge.
This case is part of a disturbing trend of violent crimes involving illegal immigrants. Recently, Houston police charged two individuals with the abduction and murder of a 12-year-old girl. In another case, a man in New York City was accused of attacking two 13-year-old girls, tying them together, and raping one of them. Additionally, Missouri authorities arrested five illegal immigrants found with a missing 14-year-old Indiana girl in their vehicle.
The issue has drawn significant attention, with critics pointing to the federal government’s handling of border security. Former New York Lt. Gov. Betsy McCaughey recently penned an op-ed highlighting the increase in violence against women by migrants, describing it as a “femicide” crisis.