A Bronx man is accused of raping a 13-year-old boy on the steps of a public housing complex after they met online, prosecutors said.
Ishmael Francis, 29, was indicted Monday on two counts of second-degree rape and related charges after he sickly assaulted a teenager last month, according to the Bronx District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors say Francis and the boy exchanged messages on Sept. 18 around 11 p.m. before the suspect went to the victim's Sotomayor home in Soundview and hid in a stairwell.
According to the district attorney's office, the suspect allegedly sexually assaulted the boy when he went down the stairs to throw away trash.
He then allegedly stole the victim's cell phone and fled after hearing the 13-year-old's family calling for him.
The boy was taken to Jacobi Hospital for treatment, and the suspect was arrested several days later, on September 24, after being identified through online messages, according to the District Attorney's Office.
“This defendant is accused of raping a 13-year-old boy with whom he became engaged online and then went to his building,” District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement.
“This child is traumatized and we will do everything we can to help him get through this ordeal.”
Francisco is also charged with two counts of third-degree rape, two counts of sexual misconduct endangering the welfare of a child, and fourth-degree grand larceny.
Francis' supervised release was extended Monday during a court appearance in the Bronx. His next court date is January 7, 2025.
