Suspect in East Harlem rape of 10-year-old girl surrenders to police
EAST HARLEM, Manhattan (WABC) -- A man accused of raping a 10-year-old girl in East Harlem has surrendered to police on Wednesday.
Investigators say 23-year-old Drequan Drayton-Howard, of the Bronx, met the victim online on the social media app Bumble.
Police say the victim may have created a fake account on the app.
Officers say Drayton-Howard met up with the child and took her to an apartment in the area of Third Avenue and East 122nd Street earlier this month.
The victim reported the rape shortly after it happened. She was taken to an area hospital where she was treated and released.
Drayton-Howard was arrested on charges of rape, sex abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.
He has no prior arrests.
In response to the incident, Bumble issued the following statement:
"Bumble is sickened by the allegations and is cooperating with law enforcement. Child sexual abuse is a horrific crime and has no place in society or on Bumble's platform. We take all gender-based violence reports incredibly seriously. There is nothing more important than safety and while we cannot comment on specific facts of an ongoing investigation, we remain committed to improving our protocols and systems to improve safety and prevent harm on our products."
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