MEMPHIS, TN (abc24.com) - The man accused or raping a woman at knifepoint in her Cordova home has been indicted on additional charges involving five other victims, including a child.
41-year-old Anthony Alliano is indicted on one count rape of a child, two counts of aggravated rape, one count of aggravated robbery, five counts of aggravated sexual battery, five counts of aggravated burglary and five counts of criminal attempt aggravated rape.
"It's a good day; we've got one less alleged sex offender off street," stated Shelby County District Attorney, Amy Weirich.
While lawyers say Anthony Alliano is innocent until proven guilty, the case against the accused rapist just took a huge leap forward.
On May 2, 2012, Anthony Alliano was arrested and charged with the aggravated rape, aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery of a 27 year-old female that occurred in June 2010 in Cordova. Investigators state Alliano forced entry into the woman’s home and forced her into a bedroom closet at knife point. He raped her and took her credit card as he fled the scene.
For years investigators didn't know who the suspect was, until connecting DNA to all the rapes and re-releasing Alliano's photo.
Weirich said, "Those pictures being out there helped get him into custody."
On April 28, investigators received information identifying Alliano from surveillance footage recorded when he used the woman’s credit card at several retail locations.
In further investigations conducted by Memphis Police and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Alliano was identified as the suspect sought in additional violent sexual attacks and rapes of five victims over a seven year period.
Each incident occurred in the Cordova area of Memphis and Shelby County between 2003 and 2010. Each incident involved a male suspect armed with a knife.
As far as other possible victims who haven't come forward, the DA said, "If this helps knowing he's in custody, hopefully that will give some the strength to do that if there are more victims out there."
The District Attorney's office isn't going into details about the charges involving the child, except to say the victim was less than 13 years old.
If convicted of all 19 charges, Alliano could be sentenced to several hundred years in prison.
