A Queens religious leader is facing multiple child sex abuse charges as investigators warn the case could involve additional victims, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD), which says the probe remains active and ongoing.
Detectives with the NYPD Queens Child Abuse Squad are continuing to investigate allegations tied to incidents inside a Jamaica mosque, where authorities say two 10-year-old girls were reportedly targeted within the span of a week.
Police say they are now working to determine whether similar incidents may have gone unreported.
Authorities identified the suspect as 55-year-old Tajul Islam, who was arrested Monday night after investigators moved in following a second reported incident.
Police said he was taken into custody by the Queens Child Abuse Squad and later booked at the 113th Precinct in Jamaica.
According to court documents obtained by QNS, the allegations stem from two separate encounters inside the Masjid Bilal Queens Islamic Center at 121-03 Sutphin Blvd. in Jamaica.
Prosecutors say the first incident occurred on April 21, when Islam allegedly approached a 10-year-old girl inside the mosque during the early evening hours and inappropriately touched her.
A second incident is alleged to have taken place on April 27, around 6 p.m., involving another 10-year-old girl at the same location.
Detectives arrested Islam approximately four hours after the second reported incident, according to police.
Authorities later released his booking photo publicly as part of an effort to identify additional potential victims or witnesses connected to the case.
Islam was arraigned the following day in Queens Criminal Court before Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar.
Prosecutors charged him with four counts of first-degree sexual abuse, four counts of forcible touching, and four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, NY Daily News reported.
He pleaded not guilty during arraignment. The court set bail at $25,000 cash or bond and issued temporary orders of protection prohibiting contact with the alleged victims.
Court records show Islam has no prior criminal history.
His attorney, the Legal Aid Society, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mosque leadership also did not issue a public statement when contacted.
The NYPD is continuing to investigate whether additional victims may be linked to the mosque or surrounding community.
Officials are encouraging anyone with relevant information or similar experiences to contact law enforcement through confidential reporting channels, including the NYPD Sex Crimes Hotline and Crime Stoppers.
Following the arrest, a video posted by X user Lattina Brown, MPA, circulated on social media showing Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s previous appearance at the mosque and past praise for the mosque community and its leadership.
The post prompted discussion online, with some users calling for transparency and questioning whether the mayor will distance himself from those earlier remarks.
As of this report, Mamdani has not commented on the allegations or the arrest.
Islam is scheduled to return to court Friday as the legal process continues.
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