Suspect arrested and charged in rape of 10-year-old girl in East Harlem

NEW YORK - Police say they have arrested and charged a man for raping a 10-year-old girl he met online in East Harlem earlier this month.

Drequan Drayton-Howard, 23, of the Bronx turned himself in to the police on Wednesday. 

Drayton-Howard allegedly met the victim online via the social media app Bumble.

Authorities say he then met up with the victim and took her to an apartment near Third Avenue and East 122nd Street on January 6.

Drayton-Howard has been charged with rape, sex abuse, and endangering the welfare of a child.

"I'm glad that the community came out, spoke up, and got this guy off the streets," said Alpheaus Marcus, a community activist. "We need more parents involved with their children because at the end of the day - there are predators out there on the internet and if we are not monitoring what they do on the internet this could happen again so we want to stop this - we want to stop it where  - prevent it from knocking on someone else's door"

The victim was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released.