I didn’t sexually assault anyone
Lawyer denies rap in jailhouse interview
He admits he’s messy but claims he’s no serial sex fiend.
The peculiar Park Ave. lawyer accused of trailing unsuspecting women through their Manhattan apartment buildings and attacking them four years ago denied he’s a sex-crazed predator in a jailhouse interview Friday.
Ra’Shaun Kelley, 35, told the Daily News he “never” led a double life as the shadowy stalker who terrorized women during the string of attacks from the East Village up to Harlem.
“I’m not concerned about the charges. I’m confident they’re going to be dropped,” Kelley told The News during the Friday face-to-face at the Brooklyn Detention Complex.
“I’ve never assaulted a woman in those ways,” he said.
The New York Law School grad who grew up in Canarsie then closed his eyes and paused, his demeanor shifting slightly.
“I’ve never assaulted a woman,” he continued. “I’ve gotta be careful what I say. It’s like being asked if you’ve never lied before. You gotta think about it.”
Kelley scoffed at claims he was living out of his Park Ave. law office and had a reputation there as a creepy, unkempt tenant with anger issues.
“Of course my office is messy. My whole life is work. Or it was, if I still have any clients left,” he sniffed Friday.
“You know I have a house, right?” he sniped during another exchange, declining to give an address.
During the sit-down interview, Kelley claimed he was shocked when a warrant squad interrupted him playing the PlayStation game “Dead By Daylight” last week and took him into custody for what he thought was an old public urination charge.
He said it wasn’t until his Jan. 5 arraignment that he first heard he was being charged with burglary, sex abuse and attempted rape involving three incidents from late 2014 and early 2015.
In his first alleged attack on Dec. 16, 2014, Kelley groped and tried to kiss a 19year-old woman after cornering her in the elevator of her building on FDR Drive in the East Village, officials said.
The woman fought back, and Kelley allegedly split.
A day later, Kelley allegedly groped a 20-year-old woman inside a Harlem apartment building near Amsterdam Ave. and W. 151st. St., jumping the woman from behind and covering her mouth as he molested her.
On Jan. 14, 2015, Kelley allegedly pulled down a 31year-old woman’s pants during an attack in a Chrystie St. building in the East Village.
In that incident, Kelley ran away when the woman began screaming for help, officials said.
Surveillance video purportedly shows Kelley wearing a white shirt, tie and distinctive Yankees cap as he stalked his victims.
A police source said the Manhattan special victims squad cracked the case through a combination of the video surveillance footage, witness statements and tips.
Kelley told The News he believes his arrest stems from the top-to-bottom shakeup that followed complaints the NYPD’s special victims unit wasn’t doing its job.
“Somebody wanted a f--ing promotion I think,” he said.
He complained the recent lineup involving his case was flawed.
“None of the other people at the lineup looked anything like me,” he claimed Friday.
“I’m on trial by the media. No matter what happens in the case, my reputation is gone,” he moaned.
“I’m missing my freedom. I’m missing waking up in the morning, going out and getting a bacon egg and cheese,” he said.
He also misses playing PlayStation and talking with his friends.
“I’m losing everything. My reputation, my practice, my life,” he said.
“My life is over. What clients am I gonna retain now?”