A Manhattan restaurant owner has been bound over on 26 charges of sexual abuse against three minors, with arraignment set for next month.
The charges against 62-year-old Robert Iacobellis, owner of Bob’s Diner, range from aggravated indecent liberties to rape and sodomy. If convicted, 24 of the counts carry a life sentence.
At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, the three victims testified Iacobellis touched, fondled, or sexually assaulted them on numerous occasions, sometimes when they were as young as seven years old. Iacobellis will be tried on 16 counts against the first victim, including charges of rape and sodomy. The others include six counts of aggravated indecent liberties against a second victim and four counts against the third victim.
Testimony from at least one of the victims alleged the abuse began when her mother, a former weekend employee at Bob’s Diner had Iacobellis watch her while she went to work. That victim alleged the abuse continued until January 2019.
Iacobellis was initially arrested in August 2019. An amended complaint listed 130 total charges against the three alleged victims. Judge William Malcolm found enough probable cause from the testimony to proceed to trial.
Iacobellis will be arraigned at 2:30 p.m. July 6 with Judge Kendra Lewison presiding. He remains jailed on a $400,000 bond.
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