Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr., today announced the indictment of RAYSHAWN WEIR, 25, for severely sexually, physically, and psychologically abusing a teenage girl for more than a year. WEIR is charged in a New York State Supreme Court indictment with first-degree Rape, Stalking, and Unlawful Imprisonment, among other charges. [1]

“As alleged, Rayshawn Weir kept this child in a perpetual state of fear and pain over the course of 15 months,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Only when bystanders intervened as he allegedly attempted to strangle her at the Port Authority bus station did this horrific abuse come to an end. Our talented prosecutors are working hand in hand with our Survivor Services Bureau to support her and secure justice in this case. If you or someone you know is being abused, know that we are here to help: call 212-335-9373.”

According to court documents and statements made on the record in court, WEIR met the then-15-year-old girl in August 2023 when he sold her an electronic tablet on Facebook marketplace. Beginning that fall, WEIR repeatedly physically and sexually assaulted and psychologically abused the girl. He hit and punched her, and beat her with items including a mop, a broom handle, and a heavy book. On one occasion, WEIR grabbed her by her hair and slammed her head into the tiled bathroom wall. He routinely strangled her to the point of stupor, loss of vision, and loss of feeling in her limbs. He often her told her it was time for her to die, a statement she believed in those moments.

Throughout this period of time, and sometimes while she was still in pain from the defendant’s physical abuse, WEIR engaged in sexual acts with the girl, who was under the age of consent for the majority of the time period described in the indictment. On one occasion in Fall 2024, he forcibly raped her and, that same night, raped her while she was asleep.

WEIR also regularly insulted and emotionally abused the victim, isolating her from others and ensuring she complied his demands. When she managed to leave his apartment—where almost all of the abuse occurred—WEIR harassed the girl with constant texts, videos, and voice messages, saying, in substance, that if she did not return, he would dedicate all of his energy to harming her and her mother. He came to her family’s apartment, sending her photos to let her know he was there, and threatened to shoot her and her family in text and voice messages. He threatened to harm the girl and her mother if she ever reported him to the police, and, on one occasion, kicked in the door to her apartment building.

On November 3, 2024, WEIR strangled the girl at Port Authority bus station, and bystanders confronted him. Police responded and WEIR fled, but the officers chased him and arrested him down the street from the bus terminal.

The D.A.’s Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence (“IPSV”) Bureau continued investigating and uncovered the allegations of long-term sexual, physical, and psychological abuse in today’s indictment.

Assistant D.A. Meghan McLoughlin is handling the prosecution of this case under the supervision of Assistant D.A.s Austin Minogue and Bethany Spiro (Deputy Chief of the IPSV Bureau) and Executive Assistant D.A. Justin McNabney (Chief of the Special Victims Division). Survivor Services Bureau Advocate Chanelly Solomon and Counselors Chelsea Bonosky and Kara Wissing are providing valuable support. Trial Preperation Assistant Ella Penson also provided valuable assistance in this case. 

District Attorney Bragg thanked the Port Authority Police Department, especially Officer Bradley DeSalvo, Lieutenant Amy Desthers, Detective Sergeant William Hyland, and Detective Kenneth Wittig.

 

Defendant Information

RAYSHAWN WEIR

New York, NY

Charges:

• Rape in the First Degree, a class B felony, 2 counts
• Attempted Assault in the First Degree, a class B felony, 1 count
• Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 2 counts
• Strangulation in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 5 counts
• Stalking in the First Degree, a class D felony, 2 counts
• Rape in the Third Degree, a class E felony, 4 counts
• Criminal Sexual Act in the Third Degree, a class E felony, 2 counts
• Unlawful Imprisonment in the First Degree, a class E felony, 3 counts
• Unlawful Imprisonment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 3 counts
• Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 3 counts
• Aggravated Harassment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
• Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

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[1] The charges contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. All factual recitations are derived from documents filed in court and statements made on the record in court.