Sex Offender Sentenced For Repeat Groping Of Woman On Bus

SILVER SPRING, MD — A registered sex offender with multiple convictions for groping women on public transit was sentenced to 26 years, plus 231 days, in prison for the most recent incident of groping a woman on a Metrobus, according to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Kokouvi Apetoh, 45, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree assault. In the first case he boarded a Metrobus near the Rockville Metro Station on Jan. 7, 2023, and groped the woman who sat in front of him, then fled.

On March 22, 2023, Apetoh sat behind the same woman on a Metro bus and groped her again, police said. The victim took a photo of Apetoh before he fled and reported the attacks to police.

“This defendant is a serial sexual offender who systematically targeted innocent women commuting to and from work. We are committed to protecting women in our community and making sure that those who take public transportation can do so safely. We applaud Judge Berry for recognizing the significance of the defendant’s abhorrent conduct and issuing the maximum penalty,” said State’s Attorney John McCarthy in a statement obtained by WJLA.

Rockville City Police and the Metro Transit Police said he violated the conditions of his probation on a prior Metrobus groping charge.

Apetoh was convicted in four prior cases of groping women on public transit in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties and the District of Columbia, FOX DC reported.