Hudson River Park rape victim speaks out

NEW YORK (WABC) -- A high-risk sex offender beat and raped a 21-year-old actress in Hudson River Park as she stared into his eyes and begged him to stop.

The TriBeCa woman says that the vicious attack happened at Saturday morning at dawn.

She came along the river to reflect and watch the sunrise.

The 21-year-old actress told the Daily News that the suspect, 25-year-old Jonathan Stewart dragged her into the bushes and raped her.

"I was looking him in the eyes, asking him 'how can you do this? Don't you have a mother and sister?" she says.

The 5'6", 115-pound woman says the suspect sat next to her on a bench near Harrison and West Streets just after 5 on Saturday morning and began talking to her about her iPhone.

She tried to get away, but the suspect overpowered her.

"I started screaming. I was completely naked and running in the middle of the park," she adds.

The suspected rapist stared at the ground as cops escorted him out of the 1st precinct.

The 25 year old is a registered level three sex offender. He was freed from prison last year after serving seven years for robbing and assaulting a woman.

City council speaker Christine Quinn held a press conference Sunday afternoon saying her office is working on better park security and sex offender prison release policies.

The 5'8", 131-pound homeless man is charged with rape, sex abuse, assault and forcible touching.

The woman moved to New York four years ago. She was treated at Beth Israel Medical Center and was released.

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new york city, manhattan, rape, sexual assault, new york news, carolina leid

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