Houston-Area Rapist Preying On Men

A serial rapist has stalked, robbed and sexually assaulted at least five men at gunpoint in the Houston area, police said Monday.

The victims, attacked between mid-September and Nov. 30, appear to have been chosen at random and attacked near or inside their homes, police said.

"I wish we had a link between the victims, because we might have a better chance of catching him," said Lt. Richard Whitaker of the Baytown Police Department, which has jurisdiction in two of the cases. "We don't have any affirmative links at all."

There may be even more victims, but they're reluctant to come forward because of their ages and "a pride thing" that makes men more reluctant to acknowledge being the victim of sex crimes, Whitaker said.

Roughly 3 percent of American men have been victims of sexual assault or attempted sexual assault, according to a 1998 study cited on the National Sexual Assault Hotline Web site. One in 10 rape victims are male, according to the Web site, citing the National Crime Victimization study of 2003.

In 2005, more than 15,000 men were victims of a rape or sexual assault, the Web site reported.

Investigators believe the same man committed each attack, and that rape appeared to be the motive even though some victims were robbed. Evidence is being tested against other DNA samples in an effort to identify the man, Whitaker said.

In some cases, the attacker approached his victim outside their home. Other times, as in the most recent case, he broke into the home to confront his victims.

"I think he just sees one that he prefers, and then he begins to follow them and gather information, finding out where they live and watching their house," Whitaker said.

In the first assault the attacker wore a mask, the Houston Chronicle reported, but he has not worn any disguises since, investigators said. The attacker vanishes as quickly as he arrives, investigators said, taking with him any valuables he can find — from cash and ATM cards to laptop computers and jewelry.

Whitaker said the victim in the most recent attack was slightly injured during a struggle with his attacker that led to his escape.

Victims have described the attacker as a clean-shaven, light-skinned black man, 18-21 years old, between 5-foot-6-inches and 6-foot tall and with a shaved head. Although some victims reported seeing a silver sports-utility vehicle nearby, police are unsure whether the vehicle belongs to the suspect.

The victims have all been white men in their late teens and with similar builds. All were attacked in or near their houses in the Baytown area or in Harris County, just southeast of Houston.