NYC correction officer arrested for rape in Queens: prosecutors
A New York City correction officer has been charged with raping and sexually assaulting a woman in Queens while off-duty, The Daily News has learned.
Officer Anthony Martin Jr., 31, was arrested Tuesday by cops from the 112th Precinct in Forest Hills for holding down the female victim after she told him to stop raping her on the afternoon of March 26, the criminal complaint alleges.
Queens prosecutors charged him with first-degree rape, first-degree forcible sexual abuse and third-degree rape, the criminal complaint shows.
Annais Morales, a Correction Department spokeswoman, said the eight-year veteran has been suspended without pay. He was assigned to the Eric M. Taylor Center. She declined further comment.
“Everyone deserves the presumption of innocence and Correction Officer Martin is no different,” Benny Boscio, president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association, said.
“We do not in anyway condone rape and believe violence in any form is abhorrent. That said, Mr. Martin is certainly entitled to his day in court and we ask that no adverse conclusions be drawn against him.”
Boscio added, “We believe a jury of his peers will render a fair and just determination after all the facts are evaluated. He is entitled to a vigorous defense, and that’s exactly what he’ll get.”
Nia Fung, the lawyer representing Martin, did not reply to an email seeking comment.
According to the complaint, Martin and the woman were in the bedroom of a Queens apartment when he allegedly pulled down the victim’s pants and molested her.
She tried to move away and told him to stop and he refused, according to the complaint. She tried to push him away but could not. He allegedly then held her down and raped her, the complaint states.
Martin Jr. made $194,627 in 2023, according to city payroll data. The records show his salary has mushroomed in recent years. In 2021, he reached his fifth year and top base pay of $92,073, earning with overtime a total of $98,201.
In 2022, he made a total of $144,857 with overtime, before his total earnings jumped by another $50,000 in 2023.
He has also been a member of the Correction Department running club, according to pictures posted online.
At his arraignment on Tuesday, Queens prosecutors requested bail of $50,000, the DA’s office said. Judge Diego Freire set bail at $15,000 cash or $45,000 bond, court records show.
Martin posted bail and was released. He is next due to appear in court on May 17.
