BRONX — Stephen Charles, 42, was arrested on Friday after showing up in the homeless shelter system. A grand jury indicted him on 48 counts, including predatory sexual assault against a child and rape.

The indictment charges Charles with sexually abusing six victims, including five minors and one adult, between January 2018 and May 2026. The victims include boys aged 10, 11, 13, and 16, a girl aged 13, and an 18-year-old man.

One of the victims is a relative of Charles. He met several victims while living in homeless shelters in the Bronx. Charles lived in a shelter on Boynton Ave. in the Bronx starting in April 2018 with his four biological children.

The NYPD released Charles' photo to the public on Thursday. His last known address is in Edenwald. Authorities detained him just before 7 p.m. in the 50 precinct.

Charles pleaded not guilty in Bronx Supreme Court on Monday. Judge Eugene Bowan ordered him held without bail until his return to court on Sept. 1.

Assistant D.A. Rachael Baughman described how Charles gained access to the families. "They would share holidays together, birthdays together," Baughman said. "He would watch these children and their siblings. His kids were friends with their kids. And all of these parents and their children viewed Mr. Charles as their godfather."

Investigators found cell phone videos of Charles raping children, taken from his point of view. Investigators have seized eight electronic devices from Charles and have reviewed two of them.

Charles was designated a 'level 1' sex offender in 2004 following a probation sentence for a crime committed in 2002. He was convicted of failing to update his sex offender registration in 2018.

The case involves a significant increase in charges, rising from initial counts to 48 counts, which represents a 4700% increase from a single prior conviction. The indictment covers an eight-year period during which Charles allegedly abused multiple minors while residing in the homeless shelter system.

The investigation has uncovered digital evidence that remains partially unreviewed, with six of eight seized electronic devices yet to be examined. This raises questions about what additional evidence may exist on those devices. The case also shows how Charles maintained access to victims through close personal relationships while living in shelters.