Press Release

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that John Garrison was charged with sexual abuse in the first degree, forcible touching and other crimes after allegedly assaulting and threatening to kill a 10-year-old girl as she walked down the street Wednesday in Woodhaven. He is also accused exposing himself the next day on a busy commercial street in Richmond Hill.

District Attorney Katz said: “As alleged, the defendant terrorized and sexually assaulted a child as she walked down the street in the middle of the afternoon. Just one day later, a member of the NYPD allegedly observed the defendant exposing himself in Richmond Hill. I thank the brave survivor and her family for working with my office and the NYPD as we work to secure justice in this case.”

Garrison, 53, of 224^th Street in Cambria Heights, was arraigned Sunday on a five-count complaint charging him with sexual abuse in the first degree, forcible touching, resisting arrest, endangering the welfare of a child and public lewdness.

Supreme Court Justice Bruna DiBiase ordered the defendant to return to court March 25. He was remanded on this case and on an open parole warrant.

If convicted, Garrison faces up to seven years in prison.

DA Katz said that, according to the charges and investigation, on March 19, at approximately 2:55 p.m., Garrison began following a 10-year-old girl who was walking along 87^th Road in Woodhaven. The child felt frightened and screamed prompting Garrison to tell her “Sit down, shut up or I will kill you.”

In an attempt to get away from Garrison, the girl walked up a few steps of the house she was in front of. Garrison followed her and allegedly grabbed her breast and squeezed it. She pushed him away and the defendant fled the location.

The next day, at approximately 12:30 p.m., Garrison was at the intersection of 104^th Street and Jamaica Avenue in Richmond Hill when he pulled down his pants and exposed himself.

When a police officer placed Garrison under arrest, he flailed his arms and kicked his legs to avoid being handcuffed.

Assistant District Attorney Brianne Richards of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Bureau is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Eric C. Rosenbaum, Bureau Chief, Debra Pomodore, Senior Deputy Bureau Chief, and Brian Hughes and Lauren Parson, Deputy Bureau Chiefs, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Special Prosecutions Joyce A. Smith.