Suspected serial rapist charged in Delaware County

CHESTER, Pa. (WPVI) -- A suspected serial rapist in Delaware County is in police custody.

The suspect is identified as 19-year-old DeJohn Lee of Chester.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan says nine women were attacked in separate incidents over a three year period, dating back to when Lee was 16 years old.

All but one occurred within the city of Chester.

Lee has been under arrest since early January after one of his accusers saw him in an Eddystone store where she worked and called police.

Authorities say Lee preyed on female victims from the early morning hours into the evening at various areas within the city. While on foot or bicycle, they say Lee attacked the women while they were walking or distracted, and forcibly dragged them to secluded locations, where he would sexually assault, rape and/or rob them by gunpoint.

"This individual would stalk women, he would terrorize women, he would hide, and he would wait for young women to be walking alone," Whelan said.

Whelan says Lee has confessed to all the crimes for which he is charged.

Lee has been charged with a series of felony charges relating to the assault of nine victims including six counts of rape, two counts of attempted homicide, nine counts of aggravated assault and a series of other related charges including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, robbery, firearms charges, and drug possession, and possessing instruments of crime.

"Most of these victims were fighting him. They were then terrorized and some of them conceded to his wishes where he would rob them, rape them. He would do so with forcible compulsion," Whelan said.

The DA says Lee has served time before on gun charges, but was never arrested for any sex crimes; it was only last winter when he was locked up on another gun charge that they decided to do a DNA test, which did not yield results until recently.

Whelan believes there may be many more victims out in the Chester area and is asking them to come forward if they recognize Lee.

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