Police arrested Stephen Charles after alleging that the abuse occurred at several locations between January 2018 and May 2026.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — A 42-year-old Bronx man has been arrested and charged with dozens of crimes after police accused him of sexually abusing six young people, including five minors, over an eight-year period.
Stephen Charles, a resident of the Edenwald neighborhood, was arrested Friday, July 31, one day after the New York Police Department released his photograph and sought the public’s help finding him. The accusations involve five boys and one girl who ranged in age from 10 to 18, according to police. The investigation remains active.
Police said the alleged abuse occurred between January 2018 and May 2026 at multiple locations throughout the Bronx. Earlier reports said the incidents were connected to three police precincts, but investigators did not publicly identify each location or explain how the cases were linked.
Charles faces five counts of predatory sexual assault against a child, six counts of rape and three counts of course of sexual conduct against a child, police said. He was also charged with one count of criminal sexual act and seven counts of sexual abuse.
The charges also include six counts each of using a child in a sexual performance, promoting a sexual performance by a child and possessing a sexual performance by a child. Charles additionally faces five counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
The charges are accusations, and Charles is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Authorities had not released details Sunday about whether he had entered a plea or whether an attorney was representing him.
News 12 reported that Charles lived in a multifamily home on Grace Avenue in Edenwald. Neighbors told the station they were shocked by the allegations and said Charles had appeared to be an ordinary neighbor. One resident said the home is near several schools.
Police have not disclosed Charles’ alleged relationship to the young people or provided a detailed account of how the investigation began. Formal court documents were expected to provide more information about the alleged pattern of conduct.
Charles remained in police custody Saturday and was scheduled to be arraigned Monday morning in Bronx Criminal Court, according to News 12. Police said the investigation was continuing and asked anyone with relevant information to contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers hotline.
Author note: Last updated August 2, 2026.