Nicholas Rossi to face no further action on historic rape allegation in Essex
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An American fugitive who apparently faked his own death will face no further action after being arrested by officers investigating a rape allegation in England.
Nicholas Rossi, who was extradited from Scotland to Utah in January, had been questioned by Essex detectives probing an alleged incident in Chelmsford in 2017.
The 36-year-old had been at the centre of an international manhunt with US officials accusing him of raping a woman in 2008 before setting up his own memorial service years later and fleeing to the UK.
Detectives in Essex were alerted to the historic serious sex attack allegation in Chelmsford two years ago.
Rossi was then detained in custody, questioned by officers and bailed pending further investigations.
Sky News has now learned English prosecutors have ruled there is “no realistic prospect of a conviction”.
A spokesman for Essex Police said: “As part of our investigation, we remained in consistent dialogue with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and its specialist international liaison team.
“When our investigation was complete, our findings were submitted to the CPS. We received correspondence from the CPS which set out a decision to take no further action as there was no realistic prospect of a conviction.
“Throughout this stage of the investigation, we have worked determinedly to present the strongest possible legal case and we have remained in consistent dialogue with the victim.”
Rossi was first arrested after someone recognised him when he was ill with COVID and taken to a Glasgow hospital in December 2021.
A year later, Edinburgh Sheriff Court ruled his tattoos and fingerprints matched those of Rossi – as was featured on an Interpol wanted notice.
He claims his name is Arthur Knight and the saga is a case of mistaken identity.
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The case played out over a number of years in Scotland, with Rossi dismissing his legal teams and representing himself as he appeared in court in a wheelchair and oxygen mask.
A judge branded him “as dishonest and deceitful as he is evasive and manipulative” when his extradition to the US was approved last year.
Rossi then was flown to Utah in January this year after failing his appeal.
