Ex-con sex offender wanted in vicious Harlem sex assault

The NYPD released the name and a photo of the suspect wanted for allegedly viciously beating and sexually assaulting a German tourist in Harlem.

The 31-year-old woman was walking westbound along West 146th Street to her Airbnb rental at about 2:50 a.m. on May 4 when a man grabbed her purse, struck her repeatedly in the face, and sexually assaulted her, police said. She was treated at Harlem Hospital for trauma.

The NYPD identified the suspect as Keon Robinson, 28, an ex-con.

Robinson is known to frequent the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn, police said. He is a Level 3 sex offender who was arrested for a similar crime in 2007, Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said. He served seven years in prison for that attack. Under New York State guidelines, Level 3 means that the offender is at "high risk of repeat offense and a threat to public safety."

Robinson is described as black, 5 feet 8 inches tall, and weighing about 175 pounds with short dark hair. He was last seen wearing gray sweatpants, white sneakers, and a dark hooded sweatshirt.

The NYPD released surveillance camera footage of the assault and of the suspect at a Home Depot several days earlier.

Initially, police believed that Robinson was the same assailant in a violent robbery on April 24 at W. 145 St. and St. Nicolas Ave., but that belief has been ruled out.

If you recognize Robinson and know his whereabouts, contact the NYPD Crime Stoppers at any of the following:

Call: 800-577-TIPS

Visit: WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM

Text: 274637(CRIMES) then enter TIP577