Overview
- Authorities confirmed late Wednesday that 39-year-old Officer Joshua Acosta was arrested in south Brooklyn and faces 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.
- NYPD officials say the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau began the probe and referred the case to the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, with Acosta awaiting arraignment in Brooklyn criminal court.
- Police say the alleged conduct began in 2021 and continued over time, officials described the incidents as domestic in nature involving a juvenile relative, and the victim's exact age has not been released.
- Public records show Acosta is assigned to the NYPD Legal Bureau, joined the force in 2014, has past substantiated Civilian Complaint Review Board findings and internal discipline, and was named in two civil suits that settled for $657,000.
- The case puts focus on how the NYPD and civilian oversight bodies handle officers with prior misconduct records, and it will likely prompt questions about oversight, investigation procedures, and the referral process to prosecutors.