The son of two prominent writers has avoided incarceration after admitting to choking a woman during a sexual encounter.
Abraham Chabon, aged 23, reached a favorable agreement on Tuesday by pleading guilty to criminal obstruction of breathing and second-degree harassment in a Manhattan court.
In front of Judge Janice E. Chen, Chabon described the incident as “consensual choking during a consensual sexual encounter,” according to a report by the New York Post.
His parents, acclaimed authors Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman, showed their support for the NYU journalism student more than a year after the incident, which took place on January 25, 2024, in an apartment on East 12th Street.
Chabon appeared in a charcoal gray suit, walking alongside his mother, who wore a navy blue dress complemented by a black handbag and platform wedges.
Michael Chabon, dressed in a navy blue suit paired with a green tie and black square glasses, accompanied his wife and son as the family exited the courthouse with a confident demeanor.
Chabon was charged on June 12, 2025, with second-degree strangulation and first-degree rape in connection with the alleged attack.
Prosecutors said that during the encounter, he grabbed the victim by the neck, constricting her airway, then carried her out of a bed, where he raped and struck her ‘repeatedly in the face’.
Abraham Chabon (middle), 23, accepted a plea deal on Tuesday in Manhattan criminal court that saw him avoid jail time for choking a woman during a sexual encounter
He held his mother, Ayelet Waldman’s, hand as the two of them darted out of the courthouse after his brief hearing
Chabon was charged on June 12, 2025, with second-degree strangulation and first-degree rape in connection with the alleged attack
But in September, prosecutors decided to drop the rape charge because the district attorney’s office said there was insufficient evidence presented.
Prosecutors then agreed to ditch the second-degree strangulation charge – a felony -against Chabon.
As part of his plea agreement, Chabon has to abide by the law, continue attending counseling, and abide by an order of protection involving the woman for 18 months, according to the Post.
If he abides by the rules, he can withdraw his plea and be resentenced to a conditional discharge of harassment in the second degree. That charge would remain on his record.
But if he fails to meet the terms of his agreement, he could spend up to a year behind bars.
In a statement to the Post, a spokesperson for Chabon claimed the prosecution’s case weakened after the victim admitted to others that the sexual encounter with the student was consensual.
Michael (right), who donned a navy blue suit, green tie, and black square glasses, joined his wife and son after the hearing
In September, prosecutors decided to drop the rape charge because the district attorney’s office said there was insufficient evidence presented
The elder Chabon also received a 2001 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
Still, they said that Chabon ‘accepts responsibility for engaging in consensual choking during a consensual sexual encounter.’
The spokesperson added: ‘This past year has been incredibly difficult for Abraham and those closest to him. A smart, decent young man with a kind heart, Abraham is eager to move forward and rebuild his life and reputation.’
The nepo-baby’s mother is a celebrated Israeli-American novelist who published a new book, A Perfect Hand, in May.
Meanwhile, his father is known for his books like Wonder Boys and Telegraph Avenue.
The elder Chabon also received a 2001 Pulitzer Prize for fiction for The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, and was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2012.
