Off-duty NYPD Officer Joshua Acosta was arrested July 8 on multiple accounts of rape and sexual misconduct involving a child, authorities say.
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A Brooklyn police officer has been arrested and charged with multiple felony sex offenses involving a child, according to the NYPD.
Joshua Acosta, 39, an off-duty NYPD police officer assigned to the department’s Legal Bureau, was arrested around 8 p.m. on July 8 within the confines of southern Brooklyn’s 61st precinct, police said.
Acosta is charged with three counts of rape, three counts of sexual misconduct, two counts of course of sexual conduct against a child and one count of acting in a manner injurious to a child.
According to the NYPD, “The investigation originated with the NYPD and was referred to the district attorney’s office. The officer is suspended without pay.”
Authorities did not release additional details about the alleged offenses, including the alleged victim’s age or when the incidents are said to have occurred.
Public employment records show Acosta joined the NYPD in January 2014 and has served in the 79th Precinct, the 7th Precinct and the Legal Bureau since April 2024. Records indicate he earned approximately $154,000 in 2025.
Acosta has previously been the subject of multiple civilian misconduct complaints investigated by the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB).
CCRB records show four substantiated allegations stemming from complaints filed in 2019, including abuse of authority involving entry of premises, a frisk, a search of premises and threats of force. According to public records, one case resulted in formalized training, while another concluded without a disciplinary penalty despite substantiated findings.
Department disciplinary records also show Acosta was found guilty in separate internal cases of failing to activate his body-worn camera, engaging in an improper vehicle pursuit and failing to conduct an investigation. The penalties included the loss of 13 vacation days and 12 pre-trial suspension days.
Public court records further show Acosta was named in two civil lawsuits against the city that resulted in settlements totaling $657,000. Those settlements do not constitute admissions of liability.