Digital Billboards Launched for ‘East Coast Rapist’ Investigation

Prince William County police has joined forces with the FBI and other local police departments to launch a digital billboard campaign to help with a serial rape investigation.

The investigation involves 12 sexual assaults or attempted sexual assaults between 1997 and 2009 by the same offender, linked by DNA evidence.

The Virginia incidents occurred in Dale City, Alexandria and Leesburg at various points in 2000, 2001 and 2009.

Digital billboards are running in Virginia, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Delaware where each of the 12 incidents occurred.

Fairfax County Police Department has launched a dedicated website, www.EastCoastRapist.com, which provides composites and additional description of the offender. “We have the DNA linking the offender, but we need someone to recognize and identify him,” said John Kelly, Detective with the Fairfax County Police Department in a press release.  

In the Dale City incident on Oct. 31, 2009 a man approached three girls on their way home from a night of trick-or-treating. Police reports from the incident state that the suspect raped two of the girls and assaulted the other. One of the victims, a 16-yaer-old girl used her cell phone to text her mother and call for help during the attack. The suspect fled after police closed in.

Victims in the assaults have been black, white and Hispanic females. Police said the suspect approaches the victims outdoors and on foot. He then threatens them with a weapon, usually a knife or handgun. In two of the earliest assaults, the offender approached the victims on a bike.

Police say the offender sometimes wears a black mask or hooded sweatshirt to conceal his face. After approaching the victim, the offender asks the victim for money, giving the victim the impression that she is being robbed, but does not take anything after the assault is over.

If you have information pertaining to this crime, please call the Crime Solvers hotline at 1-866-411-TIPS/ 8477.