Suspect in Hudson River Park rape indicted on multiple charges

Jonathan Stewart, 25, who was arrested for violently sexually assaulting a 21-year-old woman seeking peace and quiet in Hudson River Park in the early hours of Sept. 22, was indicted Tuesday.

"Every time a sexual assault occurs in a public place, like a park, it destroys the delicate sense of safety that allows neighbors and visitors to appreciate the space without fear," DA Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said in a statement.

Stewart was convicted in 2004 for robbery and sex abuse and sentenced to five years. Released from state prison in 2009, he was arrested for trespassing in 2011 and sent back to jail for a year, according to various sources. Released in July, he was believed to be homeless at the time of his latest arrest.

Stewart first-degree rape, predatory sexual assault, committing a criminal sexual act and sexual abuse in the first degree.