An 18-year-old Yale University student has been arrested after being accused of sexually assaulting a young mother while she was riding the subway with her children in Manhattan.
The suspect, Ari Shtein, is from Michigan and faces several charges connected to the alleged attack.
Alleged Assault Happened on Crowded Subway
According to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the incident happened around 3 p.m. on June 28 on an uptown R train approaching the West 28th Street stop.
Prosecutors allege that Shtein moved close to a 30-year-old woman who was travelling with her four young children and sexually assaulted her on the crowded train.
The woman’s children, all under the age of 11, reportedly witnessed the incident.
Victim Had Nowhere to Move
Authorities said the subway car was crowded, leaving the woman with no space to get away during the alleged assault.
A police source said the woman later told officers that Shtein appeared surprised when she reacted angrily.
Charges Filed Against Shtein
Shtein appeared for arraignment Wednesday in Manhattan Criminal Court.
He was charged with first-degree sexual abuse, aggravated sexual abuse, forcible touching, endangering the welfare of a child and related offences.
Judge Ilona Coleman released him without bail.
Prosecutors Requested Bond
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had asked that Shtein be held on $10,000 bond.
Prosecutors cited concerns about possible flight risk because of Shtein’s ties to Michigan, where he grew up, and Connecticut, where he attends Yale.
Defence Attorney Denies Allegations
Shtein is represented by defence attorney Priya Chaudhry, who has previously represented high-profile clients including actor Jonathan Majors and film producer Paul Haggis.
In a statement, Chaudhry denied that Shtein assaulted anyone.
She claimed he was visiting bookstores with a friend when he was falsely accused and said his reputation had been damaged before evidence was made public.
She also argued that the allegation was physically implausible based on the woman’s account.
Shtein’s Yale Background
Shtein’s LinkedIn page says he began attending Yale University in August and is expected to graduate in 2029.
He also writes a regular column for the university’s student newspaper.
According to his author profile, the column mainly focuses on personal complaints or grievances.
Previous Writing Draws Attention
In May, Shtein published a student newspaper column criticizing what he described as discriminatory hiring practices in academia against white men.
In January, he also wrote on Substack about being frustrated by a mandatory bystander intervention workshop related to sexual violence prevention.
In that post, he complained about being required to attend the training and said he did not believe he needed instruction on recognizing when something wrong was happening or when to intervene.
The case against Ari Shtein has drawn attention because of the serious allegations, the setting of the alleged attack, and his status as a Yale student.
Prosecutors say a young mother was assaulted in front of her children on a crowded subway, while Shtein’s lawyer strongly denies the accusation. The case will now proceed through the Manhattan court system.