Man vanishes before he’s convicted of sex crimes

ELIZABETH, N.J. (AP) -- Authorities are searching for a northern New Jersey man who they say disappeared shortly before he was convicted of sex crimes against a young boy.

Union County prosecutors say 47-year-old Nikolaos Katogiritis fled the area sometime during the two days that jurors deliberated the charges. The panel found him guilty Tuesday of sex assault, child endangerment and lewdness,

The former Elizabeth resident now faces up to 10 years in state prison when he's sentenced.

Prosecutors say Katogiritis approached the then 12-year-old boy in the shower area of pool locker room in August 2012. They say he exposed himself to the boy and started touching himself, then encouraged the boy to do the same and asked to perform a sexual act on him.

The boy left the area and immediately told a relative what happened. Katogiritis was arrested later that day.

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