Police think Katie Beers' attacker is on Long Island

Suffolk County police believe Sal Inghilleri, the man convicted of molesting a 9-year-old Katie Beers, may have returned to Long Island after leaving the Bay Shore hotel where he'd been staying and failing to disclose his new address, authorities said Wednesday.

Police were conducting a random sex offender address verification check in May when they discovered that Inghilleri, 54, had left the Econo Lodge Bay Shore on East Main Street. By law, all sex offenders must notify authorities of a change in address within 10 days.

But Suffolk police said that did not happen and in late July obtained a warrant for his arrest. Investigators said they exhausted all their local leads and began checking out information that he was out of state.



For a time, police believed he would return to Long Island and surrender, Det. Sgt. Gene Bragoli of the Special Victims Section said. They now have reason to believe he is back on the Island -- and they're hoping he'll turn himself in.

"That would certainly be the easiest way to resolve this," Bragoli said Wednesday.

Inghilleri was released in June 2006 after serving the maximum sentence, 12 years, for sexually abusing the girl. Beers' case gained national attention in 1992 when another man, John Esposito, held her in an underground vault for 16 days.

Esposito remains in prison on a kidnapping conviction and has a parole hearing in November, according to state Department of Correctional Services records. He is serving 15 years to life in prison. The earliest he could be released is in January.

Inghilleri was charged in an unrelated case that alleged that he'd sexually abused Katie twice in 1991 while she was staying with them. He and his wife, Linda, were accused of keeping her in near-servitude. At his trial, Katie testified that Inghilleri would give her money in the morning to buy him and his wife an egg on a roll and coffee, but wouldn't give her money for her own breakfast.

Sometimes the chores meant she missed the school bus.

"I had to walk to school if I missed the bus," she said.

If convicted on the new charges, Inghilleri could face another year in prison.

Anyone with information on Inghilleri's whereabouts is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS.

Re: Police think Katie Beers' attacker is on Long Island

WOW... i remember that story... i wonder what katie beers is doing now...

Re: Police think Katie Beers' attacker is on Long Island

Re: Police think Katie Beers' attacker is on Long Island

I remember the whole controversy at SpacePlex. Its weird how much information you can remember about the case with it being so long ago. I was 11 at the time.

Re: Police think Katie Beers' attacker is on Long Island

I don't remember any of this But I was only about 7 when it happened.

But it certainly is a little scary to think he is roaming our streets with a warrant for his arrest.

Re: Police think Katie Beers' attacker is on Long Island

Katie Beers changed her name and moved out west to attend college.. One of my mother's co-workers had a connection with her somehow.

This story rocked me! I was the same age she was when it happened to her. That was one sick sick family!

Re: Police think Katie Beers' attacker is on Long Island

I remember EVERYTHING about this. I was 10 and petrified. That poor girl

Re: Police think Katie Beers' attacker is on Long Island

The house she lived on was a couple of houses down from my grandparents.