BRONX, NY—Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark has announced the indictment of Kelvin Williams, 34, a Rikers Island inmate, on multiple charges stemming from an alleged attack on a transgender inmate. The charges include Predatory Sexual Assault, first-degree Criminal Sexual Act, and first-degree Sexual Abuse, among others.
The incident reportedly occurred on the evening of May 12, 2022, at the Anna M. Kross Center, where video surveillance captured Williams pacing before entering the victim’s cell. He allegedly threatened the victim with a makeshift ice pick, presenting a harrowing choice between being stabbed or sexually assaulted. Williams is accused of then forcing the victim into oral and anal sex.
Williams was arraigned on June 18, 2024, and remanded by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Brenda Rivera. He is scheduled to appear in court again on September 17, 2024.
District Attorney Clark emphasized the severity of the charges, stating, “Sexual violence against any person in jail will be prosecuted to the fullest extent.” Lynelle Maginley-Liddie, New York City Department of Correction Commissioner, also condemned the actions, reaffirming the department’s zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of sexual abuse and harassment within its facilities.