Staten Island, N.Y. — A local man, Asaad Qayyum, aged 26, was recently acquitted by a jury on several felony charges involving alleged criminal sexual acts. The acquittal came after a closely watched trial that stemmed from an incident reported on August 14, 202y, near the accuser’s Mid-Island residence.
Qayyum, a resident of Dover Green in Arden Heights, faced severe legal charges, including first-degree criminal sexual act and first-degree sex abuse. However, the jury dismissed these felony charges and was deadlocked on a lesser misdemeanor charge of forcible touching, resulting in a hung jury. The trial, held at the State Supreme Court in St. George, has now been adjourned by Justice Alexander Jeong to July 30 for further discussion on the pending misdemeanor charge.
During the trial’s final stages, Qayyum, visibly tense, was seen outside the courtroom holding onto a string of prayer beads and chanting. His defense team had made a request for him to have a Quran at the defense table during the final day of arguments, highlighting the emotional weight the trial had on him.
The district attorney’s office put forth a robust case involving the woman’s distressed 911 call, body-worn camera footage from law enforcement at the scene, DNA evidence, and a poignant testimony by the complainant. These elements underscored the prosecution’s efforts to secure a conviction.
Contrastingly, Qayyum’s defense, led by Brooklyn-based attorney Muhammad Ikhlas, emphasized inconsistencies in the complainant’s narrative. The defense scrutinized her motives, pointing out that she contacted her ex-boyfriend before dialing 911 after the alleged incident. Moreover, during the proceedings, Qayyum told investigators about a consensual encounter, which his attorney argued should cast doubt on the complainant’s account.
Notably, the defense questioned the credibility of how police had brought Qayyum in for questioning and objected to their interrogation tactics, described by the leading detective as routine for eliciting confessions. Another significant point of contention was the DNA evidence; a forensic expert hired by the defense suggested alternative explanations for how Qayyum’s DNA could have appeared on the complainant’s underwear, which did not necessarily implicate him in a non-consensual act.
Additionally, the prosecution confronted Qayyum’s DNA presence on the complainant’s underwear and minor traces of male DNA on other swabs. Assistant District Attorney Alva Prenga dismissed the defense’s forensic expert as a “paid witness,” reinforcing their stance on the credibility of the evidence presented.
The dynamics of the complainant’s personal life also surfaced during the trial; she admitted to being upset with her former boyfriend, who had given her number to his friends post-breakup. Nonetheless, Prenga argued that enduring a traumatic medical examination and testifying in court was unlikely just a means for the complainant to retaliate against her ex-lover.
This high-stakes trial leaves the future uncertain as both the prosecution and defense prepare for their next encounter in court later this summer. Meanwhile, Qayyum remains free pending the outcome of the adjourned proceedings, highlighting the complexities and challenges of adjudicating cases involving allegations of sexual misconduct.