Brutal dance hall rapist of seven-year-old girl sentenced

The toilet at the St George dance hall where Sampieri attacked the child. Photo / 9 News

The hero father who rescued a seven-year-old girl from the dance hall rapist has described the terrifying moment his neck was slit with a scalpel and wished his attacker "pain, darkness and misery" in jail.

Nick Gilio, who went to the girl's aid after Anthony Paul Sampieri locked her in the dance studio toilet in November 2018, described the pain, horror and his lifetime physical and mental injuries since Sampieri slit his neck with a scalpel.

Sampieri, 55, committed the terrifying attack in the southern Sydney suburb of Kogarah on an evening in November 2018.

He is being sentenced in Australia today.

"I was stabbed in the abdomen," he told a hushed District Court hearing during a dramatic victim's impact statement as Sampieri sat in the dock with his head bowed and eyes cast down.

"The terror and feeling of a scalpel being dragged across the back of my neck with no thought for who I am ... or my family."

Nick Gilio, who rescued the girl, has described how it has impacted his life. Photo / News Corp

Mr Gilio said he had ongoing physical and psychological trauma, including tightness in the back of his neck and debilitating flashbacks of the attack he would have "for a lifetime".

He said the trauma and injury meant he had a lack of concentration, meaning he couldn't pursue his chosen job as a diesel mechanic.

He said he was fearful for the welfare of all children and was constantly checking doors and windows.

"The flashbacks will ... never stop," he said.

"I was a happy go lucky man.

"I was active, I enjoyed exercising and socialising."

Now, Mr Gilio said, he couldn't ride his motor bike, go out for long or relax.

"I feel as though a huge part of me has died on the night of that incident," he said.

"I see all children as vulnerable.

"I feel as if I am responsible for protecting all children all the time.

"I feel frightened for them."

Mr Gilio said his optimistic outlook on life had turned, leaving him feeling "overwhelmed, dark ... pessimistic".

He said his family also bore his pain.

He told Sampieri, who faces possible life imprisonment: "There is no sentence harsh enough.

"I hope your incarceration ... has pain, darkness and misery."

Judge Paul Conlon thanked Mr Gilio for his bravery in rescuing the girl.

Sickening attack

Sampieri was clean shaven, with his thinning hair closely cropped as he sat in the dock of the court today.

He seemed alert but looked like he had lost weight in the months he has been in custody.

Sampieri stood with his head bowed as he formally pleaded guilty to seven charges relating to 94 offensive, menacing or harassing phone calls he made to women between August and November 2018.

After locking the girl, who was attending a class, in the toilet of the St George Dance Centre, Sampieri filmed himself committing an act of indecency on her.

Sampieri appeared in the NSW District Court at Darlinghurst in Sydney today before Judge Conlon.

Child sex offender Anthony Peter Sampieri is being sentenced for his terrifying dance hall rape of a girl, 7. Photo / News Corp

The toilet at the St George dance hall where Sampieri attacked the child. Photo / 9 News

In June this year, Sampieri pleaded guilty to 10 charges arising from the Kogarah dance hall attack.

Sampieri was on parole at the time of the offences on the evening of November 15, 2018.

The father of another child at the dance studio was stabbed by Sampieri after the man went to the aid of the girl being sexually assaulted.

In July, Sampieri also pleaded guilty to making menacing and obscene phone calls to women prior to the dance hall rape.