Police Credit 'Katie's Law' For Alleged Serial Rapist Arrest
DENVER (CBS4) - A man accused of a series of rapes dating back to 2008 has been formally charged.
Lynn Kimbrough with the district attorney's office said William Costello, 47, has been charged with two counts of second-degree kidnapping, two counts of sexual assault on a child, three counts of sexual assault, and two counts of impersonating a peace officer.
"Costello was arrested and charged in July 2012 with assault on an at-risk adult following a confrontation between Costello and a man collecting petition signatures," Kimbrough said in a statement. "Costello's DNA was taken at the time of his arrest pursuant to Katie's Law, and was then linked to three unsolved sexual assault cases occurring in 2008, 2010, and 2011."
Costello is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl in March 2008, a 22-year-old woman in August 2010, and a 49-year-old woman in September 2011.
"The charges further allege that in the latter attacks Costello claimed he was a police officer," Kimbrough said.
"We want to take these kinds of predators off the streets when they're accused of these types of an offense," Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey said. "He has to go to trial, but it's important that we get these matters resolved."
Costello's bond was set at $200,000. He is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday morning to be formally advised of the charges. His picture has not been released because police are using it in other lineups.
