Newark Police Officer Charged With Sex Crime Against Uber Driver

JERSEY CITY, NJ — A 23-year-old Newark police officer has been charged with a sex crime involving a female Uber driver, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced Saturday.

Karon Bell of Newark was charged with one count of criminal sexual contact in connection with the December 2021 incident. According to authorities, the 36-year-old Uber driver told police she had never met the suspect before, but he had identified himself as a police officer.

Bell, who was off-duty at the time, was arrested Friday following an investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit, authorities said. He was released on a summons and is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Feb. 25.

To report a sex crime, contact the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit at 201-915-1234.