Prior Violations of NYPD Officer Accused of Rape Revealed

39-year-old police officer Joshua Acosta, affiliated with the New York City Police Department (NYPD), was arrested off-duty in Brooklyn on Wednesday evening. An 11-count criminal complaint was filed against him, charging him with numerous sexual crimes and acts of rape against a girl under 13 and a girl under 17. The alleged abuse is claimed to have lasted from September 2021 to June 2026. Acosta's defense attorneys, Jason Goldman and David Gelfand, argued that the charges against their client are extremely serious but absolutely unfounded. The attorneys stated that they will clear their client's name through legal means once all the facts come to light.

Documents from the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office, obtained by Fox News Digital, revealed that Acosta was the target of numerous civilian complaints years before his arrest. Despite being the agency currently prosecuting Acosta, the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office agreed to share the contents of these past disciplinary files. According to the documents, Acosta previously admitted to violating police department rules. These violations include serious allegations such as engaging in a dangerous high-speed pursuit and failing to operate a body camera. This situation highlights the extent of the police officer's past behavior and his disciplinary record.

According to details in the files, on January 4, 2019, Acosta began chasing a suspect while on patrol in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn. According to the documents, he drove at speeds of up to 56 miles per hour without taking into account the nature of the crime, the time of day, the location, population density, and police requirements. It was alleged that he failed to activate his body camera during the pursuit and the subsequent traffic stop. This case was closed on July 30, 2020, and the only penalty given to Acosta was the forfeiture of 15 vacation days. Such lenient sanctions raise questions about the disciplinary process within the police force.

According to Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) records, there are at least two more complaints against Acosta. The Board substantiated a complaint involving an incident that occurred on September 26, 2019, in which Acosta committed abuse involving the use of verbal or physical force, entry into a premises, and a stop and frisk. Additionally, it was reported that on June 19, 2019, he chased an armed robbery suspect into a house and, after the suspect was handcuffed, searched various rooms and drawers of the house without authorization. Acosta later defended himself by telling investigators that he did this to find potential weapons and that he acted in good faith. Following these incidents, the Police Commissioner's Office required Acosta to receive training on how to properly search private properties in accordance with the law.

Acosta's attorney, David Gelfand, argued that the alleged disciplinary infractions his client committed while performing his duties as a police officer have no relevance to the current sexual assault case. Gelfand defended his client by stating that law enforcement officers have one of the hardest jobs in society and are criticized at every step. The attorney emphasized that having only 3 to 4 complaints filed against him during his 14-year career is neither relevant nor noteworthy. Gelfand added that they will fight the case on its merits and struggle to clear his client's name of these baseless accusations. Following these statements, the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office and NYPD officials, who refrained from making further comments on the matter, maintained their silence.