Innocent N.Y. Man Has Same Name as Accused Molester

Innocent N.Y. Man Has Same Name as Accused Molester: MyFoxNY.com

It is a horrible case of mistaken identity: Robert L. Viggiano, 47, has virtually the same name as an accused child molester, so now he is working to clear his name.

Viggiano owns a plumbing business and is a married father of two children in Cold Spring, N.Y.

But Robert S. Viggiano, also 47, is a married father of two who owns an electrical business in Cold Spring. Robert S. was arrested for trying to arrange sex with a 10-year-old girl.

Robert L. is not related to Robert S. and has never met the guy.

Their two lives collided when the news broke Wednesday over the radio while Robert L. was at this dentist office in Westchester doing work.

They all heard it and came out of their offices, and I'm saying 'It's not me! I'm here. He's in jail," Robert L. said.

Since then, Robert L. says his phone has been ringing off the hook from customers, friends, family asking what was going on. He even got a call from the wife of the accused molester.

"His wife called me up and tried to just apologize for it," Robert L. says. "I feel so bad for them -- for his wife and his kids, and it must be hell."

Robert L. says he is taking an ad out in the local newspaper so everyone in town knows about the mix-up. He is also in process of drafting a letter to every one of his customers so they know that he is innocent.

"When your name is your business and you just have that going for you and it gets tarnished like that, it's just something you can't even imagine," Robert L. says. "I just hope it doesn't have any kind of lasting effect."