A New York City man faces the possibility of spending life in prison for the sexual assault of a 19-year-old man and a 14-year-old child at knifepoint during robberies, the Bronx District Attorney's office said.
Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark today announced that Jaden Stephens, 21, was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years to life in prison. Stephens initially pleaded guilty June 1 to two counts of Predatory Sexual Assault and was sentenced to 12 years to life for each count, to run concurrently.
According to the investigation, on May 1, 2022, at around 11:30 p.m., on Eastchester Road Stephens stole a 19-year-old man’s phone at knifepoint and then performed oral sex on him without his consent. He attempted to force the man to perform a sex act on him, and when the victim refused, he punched him in the face and ran away.
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WATCH HERETwo weeks later, on May 14, 2022, at around 4:10 p.m. Stephens followed a 14-year-old boy inside the Edenwald Houses and at knifepoint Stephens told him to go to the roof and to give him his cellphone, according to the investigation. He then performed oral sex on the victim and recorded it on his own cellphone and threatened to post the video online if the boy reported it to the authorities.
“The defendant forced himself on the victims at knifepoint and even recorded one of the assaults," Clark said. "We are thankful the victims came forward and courageously spoke out against their attacker, so we could bring them justice.”
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