In what appears to be a recurring issue within the city’s transit infrastructure, multiple instances of sexual misconduct crimes have been frequent, with recidivists as the primary culprits, as cited by police insiders. In a case that exemplifies this, a man named Roman Gonzalez was detained on April 9th at the Union Square subway station. Aged 67, Gonzalez was engaged in unsuitable behavior targeted at a female commuter on the train platform. Astonishingly, this wasn’t his first run-in with the law, as it was his sixth encounter for similar conduct, and alarmingly, his 32nd arrest since 1983.
However, Gonzalez was released soon after his detention due to the non-eligibility of his charges for bail. It appears that serial offenders such as him play a significant role in the rising sexual crimes on city buses and subways. The NYPD has recorded that, of the 213 incidents reported and arrested in the city transit system by 2025, 52 have reoffended.
Gonzalez, who resides on Staten Island, first fell foul of the law roughly 42 years ago, at 25 years old. He was charged with possession of a weapon following an incident where he brandished brass knuckles at another individual. His criminal journey since then has been marked by a variety of offenses, ranging from theft to intimidation.
He has been apprehended for petit larceny, having stolen credit cards in his possession, grand larceny, as well as menacing behavior. In 2005, Gonzalez was taken into custody for forcible touching, and in 2016, he was arrested on counts of sexual abuse and public lewdness within the same year. He was also reported to have behaved improperly towards a woman aboard an N train in Manhattan, occurring in February.
However, despite Gonzalez’s extensive criminal history, his detention on March 18 merely resulted in him receiving a desk appearance ticket. Mirroring this pattern, another serial offender, Kenneth Tsui, 27 years of age, found himself in a similar situation.
Tsui, who has a history of multiple arrests for sexual misconduct, was detained on June 8 following an alleged sexual crime committed against a 17-year-old girl. He was let go following a court appearance in August, where he admitted to persistent sexual abuse. His next court date for sentencing is slated for September.
On another noteworthy incident, Tsui was taken into custody following allegations of sexual abuse on a 6 train, where he reportedly made unsolicited physical contact. He was charged and found guilty of forcible touching in December of 2023. However, the court later dismissed the case due to Tsui being judged as unfit to stand trial.
Moving forward in time to 2024, the court classified Tsui as a Level 1 Sex Offender, the least severe rating. However, the crimes by repeat offenders are not limited to these two individuals. Dexter Betancourt, 37, has been implicated in similar cases.
In an incident dating back to June 18, Betancourt, following a woman’s rejection of his advances while she was waiting for a train, allegedly reacted improperly. Consequently, he was charged with forcible touching and released without bail. He is due to appear in court come September. Demonstrating further the extent of his criminal past, Betancourt has almost two dozen prior offenses on record.
Turning back the clock to 2013, Betancourt was held accountable for violent transgressions against a 27-year-old woman in the city’s Upper East Side, according to sources. Furthermore, Betancourt allegedly physically assaulted a 25-year-old woman a year prior.
Some within the police force have voiced their concerns that courts should implement stronger measures to retain such habitual offenders in confinement. This sentiment stems from the belief that cases of public lewdness often do not receive the veracity and severity they should from the courts.
According to one police source, the responsibility returns to the judiciary. They claim that courts often do not take public lewdness cases gravely enough and may miss the opportunity to wield harsher penalties or prolong jail terms for such offenders.
The post Serial Offender Strikes Again in City Transit System appeared first on Real News Now.
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