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United Nations Official Arrested For Allegedly Groping Teenage Tourist
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Mar 11, 2019
Modified Mar 11, 2019
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JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Mar 11, 2019
Modified Mar 11, 2019
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A United Nations worker was arrested this weekend for sexually abusing a teenager, after allegedly entering the boy's hotel room under the guise of needing to charge his phone, authorities said. [Update below.]
Gregory Connor, a 46-year-old coordination specialist for the United Nations Development Program, was apprehended by police at 1:30 a.m. on Saturday and charged with forcible touching of intimate parts, police said. The victim is a 17-year-old boy, who was reportedly visiting New York City on a class trip from Italy.
According to police, Connor approached the teenager and asked if he could use his iPhone charger, then followed him up to his room at the Hilton Hotel in Midtown. Soon after, he allegedly undressed and began groping the victim, touching his chest and his crotch. Connor left a few minutes later, but briefly returned after forgetting his bag in the room, a police spokesperson added.
Sources told the Post that police were notified of the abuse by hotel security and school chaperones, and that Connor was still at the hotel when he was arrested hours after the incident.
Unlike many United Nations officials accused of misconduct in the city, Connor does not have diplomatic immunity. He was released without bail following his arraignment on Saturday.
In a statement to Gothamist, a spokesman for the United Nations Development Program said, “UNDP takes all allegations of sexual misconduct extremely seriously and has zero tolerance for this behavior. UNDP is aware of these allegations, has been in touch with the relevant U.S. authorities and is actively following up on the matter."
Prior to working at the United Nations, Connors held a series of development jobs in New York City, Washington D.C., and Europe, according to his LinkedIn page. His resume includes senior level positions at the World Bank, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the EastWest institute. He currently resides on the Upper West Side.
Update, June 24, 2020: According to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, the case involving Connor has been sealed.
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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