Overview
- Prosecutors say Stephen Charles, 42, was hit with a 48-count indictment and arraigned in Bronx Supreme Court where he pleaded not guilty and was ordered held without bail.
- Authorities say the alleged abuse ran from 2018 through May 2026 and involved six known victims who were children or teens at the time, including boys aged 10, 11, 13 and 16, a 13-year-old girl and an 18-year-old now‑adult.
- The case began to surface after two children ran away in June and told an ex‑partner they had been harmed, which led police to other victims and Charles’s arrest in late July.
- Prosecutors say Charles preyed on children he knew through family ties and at Bronx homeless shelters, and investigators have gathered cellphone recordings and witness accounts while seeking more witnesses and evidence.
- Charles has been a registered sex offender since 2004 and was convicted in 2018 for failing to register, and the next court date in the case is scheduled for Sept. 1, 2026.