NEW YORK, NY – John L. Stephenson, a 54-year-old undomiciled male, was arrested on Thursday, January 11, 2024, at around 10:55 AM. The arrest, made within the 14th Precinct, is part of an ongoing investigation into multiple incidents of forcible touching and sexual abuse. Stephenson faces charges on three counts of forcible touching and three counts of sexual abuse.
Further developments in the investigation have linked two additional incidents of forcible touching to the series, forming a three-incident pattern. One of these incidents occurred on Saturday, October 28, 2023, at about 6:43 PM in the West 34th Street – Herald Square subway station. In this instance, a 33-year-old female victim reported that an unknown individual approached her and grabbed her buttocks before fleeing on foot. No injuries were reported from this incident.
The New York City Police Department continues its investigation and encourages anyone with further information to come forward.