A man in Rochester, N.Y., who was arrested Tuesday for allegedly inappropriately touching children’s feet, claims he’s the victim of a setup by no less than President Barack Obama.
Anthony Parri, 49, was arraigned on two felony sex abuse and endangering the welfare of a child charges. According to court documents obtained by WHAM-TV,Parri removed a child’s shoe, fondled her foot and pressed it up against his nose and mouth.
According to police, library staff reported the possible offense after a mother saw a suspicious man having contact with her daughter’s foot. After confronting him, the man left the library, where he was subsequently detained by police, WHEC-TV reported.
Library director Bernadette Brinkman said she is glad she made the call to authorities.
“I’m glad we responded as quickly as we did and something positive was done about it.” Brinkman told the station.
Investigators say Parri touched the feet of two young girls and court papers indicate that, in one case, he removed a shoe and fondled the foot, pressing it against his nose and mouth for the purpose of sexual gratification, RochesterHomePage.com reported.
Parri pleaded not guilty and claims the accusations are part of a conspiracy.
“I’m being set up by the President Barack Obama and the city and federal government,” he said after the arraignment. “My family was killed here. My uncle was killed here. This is a set up… they had women following me in Wegmans.”
Police are currently investigating five similar cases that occurred in two other nearby cities, Pittsford and Brighton, to see if Parri may be connected, the New York Daily News reported. In those incidents a man approached young girls, ages 5 to 10, and licked their feet.
According to court documents, Parri has two prior convictions for attempted murder and assault dating back to
the early and late 1980′s.
