Laurens Mayor Arrested for Second Set of Child Rape Charges

By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
LAURENS

On March 19, State Police of Clifton Park arrested Village of Laurens Mayor Frank W. Kovacs, 62, on child rape charges for the second time in less than a year, according to New York State Police.

The felony charges included eight counts of Rape 1st, three counts of Criminal Sex Act 1st, a “B” felony, and three counts of Sexual Abuse 1st, a class “D” felony, according to a State Police press release.

The release said that on February 4, 2025, “Investigators due to an ongoing Troop C investigation received information pertaining to the rape and sexual assault of a child in Saratoga County which began when the child was reportedly 13. The investigation determined Kovacs allegedly repeatedly sexually assaulted and raped the child (under the age of 17) from 2008 until 2011 while in Clifton Park.”

Kovacs, who is still the mayor of Laurens according to the village’s website and recent meeting minutes, was first arrested in June 2025 on two counts of Rape 1st and three counts of Criminal Sexual Act 1st. At the time, State Police alleged that “An investigation began in December of 2024 when a victim reported that over a decade ago, they had been sexually assaulted by Kovacs for several years, in multiple locations by means of forcible compulsion, intimidation and coercion when the victim was a teenager.”

For the recent March arrest, State Police said, Kovacs was arrested at his place of employment in Oneonta and transported to SP Clifton Park for processing. He was then arraigned at the Clifton Park Town Court where he was remanded to the Saratoga County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000.00 cash, a $250,000.00 bond, or a $500,000.00 partially secured bond, State Police said.

“The Albany Times Union” reported that according to the Clifton Park Town Court clerk, Kovacs has been released from Saratoga County jail.
Regular meeting minutes for the Village of Laurens board do not show any discussion of the first charges against Mayor Kovacs since they were filed last June.

Meeting minutes do show that shortly after the first charges were filed and reported in the media, Kovacs would serve ice cream at a summer 2025 concert. He also reported strong attendance for a children’s Trunk or Treat that included “safety activities” with the Otsego County Sheriff’s Office and New York State Police. He announced that Santa would be at a gazebo in December 2025, minutes show.

Kovacs could not be reached for comment by press time.