NEW: Prominent Transgender Activist Charged With Rape of Minors

Kendall Stephens, a 37-year-old prominent LGBTQ+ activist in Philadelphia, has been arrested and charged with the rape of two young children. Stephens, known for his advocacy work and a notable figure in the LGBTQ+ community, is facing serious allegations.

Stephens first came into the limelight in August 2020, following a brutal attack in his Point Breeze neighborhood. The incident, deemed a hate crime, had Stephens emerge as a vocal and passionate activist for LGBTQ+ rights. His efforts were largely focused on advocating for more inclusive hate crime legislation in Pennsylvania.

However, the narrative took a grim turn when the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General filed charges against Stephens this month. The charges included two counts of rape, indecent assault, endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of minors, and other related crimes. The allegations pertain to sexual assaults on two minor children reported in September 2023.

Court documents accessed by NBC10 reveal that Stephens faced charges following accusations of assaulting two boys, aged 14 and 9.

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The investigation into Stephens began on September 25, when the grandmother of a victim informed the police about Stephens, a family acquaintance, sexually assaulting her grandchild. According to the allegations, Stephens abused one of the boys on at least three separate instances since 2022, starting when he was only 8 years old.

Another victim reported to the police that Stephens also assaulted him and had unexpectedly given him gifts. The victim suspected these gifts were meant to silence him, as per the details in the court documents. Furthermore, Stephens is accused of threatening one of the victims, saying that he would be imprisoned if he disclosed the abuse.

These allegations are currently under investigation by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.

Stephens’ bail was set at a steep $250,000 to $500,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for December 29, where further details of the case are expected to be revealed. The investigation into the allegations is still ongoing, and more information is anticipated to come to light in the coming weeks.

In March of 2020, Stephens suffered an attack in his home, where a group of individuals assaulted him in front of his children. This incident happened on his first day as a student at Temple University.