- Kendall Stephens, 37, was arrested Monday on charges of raping two minors
- The trans LGBTQ+ activist became a celebrity campaigner after being the victim of a hate crime in 2020
- The charges involve children under the age of 13, police said
A prominent transgender activist in Philadelphia has been accused of raping two children.
Kendall Stephens, 37, was arrested Monday and charged with a slew of sex crimes against the minors.
The exact details of the charges have not been released, but she appeared at a preliminary arraignment in Philadelphia Municipal Court the same day.
Sources said ABC7 the alleged offenses were committed against two boys under the age of 13.
Police said the Special Victims Unit had received reports of previous sexual assaults against two minor children in September 2023. Stephens was arrested after an “extensive investigation.”
Trans rights activist Kendall Stephens, 37, of Philadelphia is accused of raping two children
Stephens is charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with minors, indecent assault on people under the age of 13, obscenity towards minors and endangering the welfare of children
The LGBTQ+ activist rose to prominence after she became the victim of a brutal hate crime in her Philadelphia home
She is accused of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful contact with minors, corruption of minors, unlawful contact with minors, indecent assault against people under the age of 13, obscenity against minors and endangering the welfare of children.
The LGBTQ+ campaigner rose to prominence in her local community after turning to activism following a vicious hate crime against her.
In 2020, Stephens, a Black transgender woman, was subjected to a horrific attack by a group in her South Philadelphia home.
Tymesha Wearing was convicted of aggravated assault and hate crimes stemming from her role in the home invasion.
She was sentenced in February to 23 months of house arrest, along with 120 hours of community service.
She was also ordered to write an apology letter to Stephens and take anger management classes.
Stephens used the experience as a catalyst to become an activist, urging lawmakers to demand greater protections for LGBTQ+ people.
she said in a statement to CBS at the time: “Although Philadelphia County recognizes what happened to me as a hate crime, the statute of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania does not recognize me as a person worthy of protection because I am transgender. I am an unworthy minority in the eyes of the law, and that must change or the cycle of hatred will continue.”
In 2021, Stephens stood with District Attorney Larry Krasner to help launch the LGBTQ+ Advisory Council.
According to ABC6The board was created to be an information source for victims and survivors of crimes within the LGBTQ+ community.
Police said they received reports of historical abuse of two children in September 2023. Stephens was arrested Monday
Stephens' bail has been set at $250,000 and she is due back in court on December 29
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General filed the charges against her, as is often the case when there might be a conflict with a local prosecutor.
Stephens describes herself on her Instagram page as a “human rights lawyer and activist.”
Her bail has been set at $250,000 and her next court hearing is scheduled for December 29.
DailyMail.com has contacted Stephens for comment.