BRONX, NY – Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark has announced that 21-year-old Jaden Stephens has been sentenced to 12 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to charges of Predatory Sexual Assault. The sentencing took place on June 11, 2024, by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Laurence Busching.
The conviction stems from two separate incidents of knifepoint sexual assault against a 19-year-old man and a 14-year-old boy. According to court documents, on May 1, 2022, Stephens robbed a 19-year-old of his phone and then sexually assaulted him at approximately 11:30 p.m. near 3126 Eastchester Road. When the victim resisted further demands, Stephens assaulted him physically and fled the scene.
In a subsequent incident on May 14, 2022, Stephens followed a 14-year-old boy into the Edenwald Houses, threatened him with a knife, and forced him to the roof where he sexually assaulted the minor. Stephens recorded this assault and threatened to distribute the video if the boy reported the incident.
District Attorney Clark praised the courage of the victims for coming forward, which enabled the prosecution to secure justice. Stephens’ guilty plea on June 1, 2024, led to his current sentence, which will see the two 12-year terms run concurrently.