An off-duty analyst from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office was busted Wednesday after police say he groped a woman on a Queens subway platform during the evening commute, turning rush hour at the Junction Boulevard station into an unexpected crime scene.
Police identified the suspect as 28-year-old Tauhid Dewan and said the incident unfolded at about 4:56 p.m., when he allegedly touched a 40-year-old woman’s private area while on the platform. Officers arrested him around 5:09 p.m. and charged him with sexual abuse and harassment, according to PIX11. Transit detectives processed Dewan at the scene as the NYPD continued its investigation, with straphangers looking on.
Charges Under New York Law
Under New York’s penal code, sexual abuse and forcible touching cover non-consensual contact with intimate parts and other unwanted sexual contact. Forcible touching is laid out in Penal Law §130.52 and sexual abuse in Penal Law §130.60, with penalties that depend on the degree of the charge and the specific circumstances, according to the New York State Senate. Prosecutors weigh the facts of each case, along with any prior record, when deciding how to move forward.
Manhattan DA Office and Next Steps
PIX11 reported that Dewan works as an analyst in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. That office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Police said court papers were not yet available, and the case will proceed through the standard criminal process once the filings are prepared.
Rider Safety Context…