A Bronx man has been indicted on multiple charges after allegedly committing sex crimes against children, including his ex-girlfriend’s son, while living in NYC homeless shelters, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office announced on Monday.
Stephen Charles (a.k.a. “Jay”), 42, of Grace Avenue in the Bronx, was arraigned on Aug. 3 by Supreme Court Justice Eugene Bowen.
He faces an extensive list of charges, including: five counts of predatory sexual assault against a child; three counts of first-degree course of sexual conduct agains a child; five counts of first-degree criminal sexual act; five counts of first-degree sexual abuse; five counts of use of a child in a sexual performance; seven counts of promoting a sexual performance of a child; six counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child, three counts of first-degree rape, and six counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
“This defendant allegedly preyed on vulnerable children over the course of several years, some of whom he met while he was living at two family shelters with his children,” Bronx DA Darcel Clark said. “He is alleged to have methodically manipulated these children to satisfy his deviant sexual desires. We will get justice for these innocent children and their families.”
The indictment involves six victims, all minors at the time of the abuse, which spanned from 2018 to May of this year.
Prosecutors said the disturbing conduct took place at various locations, including two multi-unit family shelters in the Bronx — 1056 Boynton Ave. and 115 Henwood Place — as well as the defendant’s own Grace Avenue apartment.
115 Henwood PlaceGoogle Maps
The horrific abuse began in September 2018, when Charles was said to have befriended a woman and her 11-year-old son while living at the Boynton Avenue shelter. Charles abused the child through Sept. 2022.
Charles allegedly abused a second minor at the same shelter when the child was 9 years old. The abuse started around the same time, but continued through 2026, per the investigation.
The defendant continued his exploitation when he moved into the Henwood Place family shelter in 2019. Investigators said he befriended a woman who was living there with her four children and began sexually abusing her daughter in 2020, who was 7 years old at the time.
amNewYork contacted NYC’s Department of Homeless Services to ask about safety measures in place at homeless shelters to keep residents safe and is awaiting a response.
Meanwhile, the defendant’s alleged offenses persisted outside of the city’s shelter system. He is accused of sexually abusing his ex-girlfriend’s 8-year-old son from Oct. 2023 to May 2026.
Another minor was abused by the defendant on multiple occasions from June 2024 to May 2026, when the victim was 11 years old to 13 years old.
According to the investigation, Charles even abused his own biological son for nearly three years starting in 2023.
Much of the evidence in the case stems from cell phone recordings and witness accounts. Special victims detectives arrested Charles on Friday night within the confines of the 50th Precinct in the Bronx as the prime suspect in the sexual abuse pattern.
Following his indictment, he was ordered held in custody without bail, and due back in court on Sept. 1.