Posted on 11/16/2005 6:45:29 PM PST by wjersey
A 14-year-old youth has been charged in eight sexual assaults across the city dating back to early summer - a string of attacks that occurred months after he was arrested in early spring on a similar charge and then released.
While declining to call the teen a serial rapist, Capt. John Darby, commander of the Special Victims Unit, expressed amazement at the scope of the crimes.
In an interview this afternoon, Darby said, "Obviously, the number of cases is extraordinary when you're talking about a 14-year-old."
The youth, whose name was not released because of his age, has been in custody since Oct. 26 when he was charged with six of the attacks. On Monday, he was charged with two more, and although the investigation continues, investigators said they do not believe the number will increase.
The teen was first arrested March 27 on a complaint that he sexually assaulted a female in the 5700 block of Arch Street. The assault was described as an indecent touch, police said.
Then the string of attacks began in earnest.
According to Darby, the attacks to which the youth has been linked began Aug. 19 at Upsal and Emlen Streets in West Mt. Airy. There at about 1 p.m., a 32-year-old woman was approached by a youth who asked for directions. He then grabbed and fondled her, but she fought him off and he fled.
On the same day at 10:20 p.m., a 21-year-old woman was aproached by a youth in the 4700 block of North Broad Street in Logan and offered money for sex. The youth then choked and raped her, police said.
On Aug. 26 at about 10 p.m. in the 200 block of West Abbottsford Avenue in East Falls, a 19-year-old woman was approached by a youth who asked for directions. The youth then grabbed her, choked her and fondled her, and fled when she began to struggle.
The next attack was Aug. 27 at 8 p.m. in the 1200 block of Lindley Avenue. A 19-year-old woman was grabbed from behind, pulled into an alley, and choked and fondled. The youth fled when a passerby walked by.
Four blocks away in the 1100 block of Loudon Street, at about 4 p.m. Sept. 13 a 16-year-old girl was grabbed from behind, pulled into an alley and raped.
The attack occurred Sept. 28, at 11:30 a.m. in the 100 block of West Duncannon Avenue outside Olney High School. There, a 17-year-old female was followed by a youth who first made lewd comments and then fondled her before escaping.
Darby said investigators were able to develop the 14-year-old as a suspect in the attacks on Aug. 19 and Sept. 13 because of descriptions that the assailant had acne. Through physical evidence and interviews, he was linked to the other four.
After his arrest Oct. 26, the teen was linked to two more attacks that resulted in additional sexual assault charges filed Monday.
Those attacks occurred about noon July 5 in the 4400 block of Holden Street in West Philadelphia, in which a 21 year-old woman was approached by a youth who choked her, pulled her into a weeded area and raped her; and at about 9 p.m. July 17 in the 1300 block of West Roosevelt Boulevard in Hunting Park, where a 19-year-old woman waiting for a bus was attacked by a youth who threw her to the ground and raped her.
According to court records, the teen is being held at the Youth Study Center awaiting further court action, including a move by the District Attorney's Office to try him as an adult. Court records show that the teen's release in March came over objections by the District Attorney's Office.
Now where would a 14 year old get ideas like this???
Well if Bill Clinton isn't a serial rapist, then I guess I can understand why the police would hesitate to call this kid one.
Put some ice on that.
no need to worry, he'll have access to the porn channels in prison.. when he gets there four years from now.
So conceivably we could wind up with a registered sex offender who's name cannot be divulged.
Should this policy be changed?
I guess he's in school right now:
"According to court records, the teen is being held at the Youth Study Center awaiting further court action"
Enough damn doublespeak.
Well, at this rate he may have a brilliant future ahead of him in Democrat Party politics.
Give him a fair trial and then hang him.
We'll just call him a violent 14-year-old sex maniac.
Let him go.
Dress me up as a 16 year old and send me to Philly.
Where would he get such ideas? He wouldn't happen to listen to Hip-Hop "music", would he?
Save the money of a trial and shoot him in the face.
Kids are going to be sexually active. We "might as well" face it. So the mantra goes.
The face? I can think of a better place!
I read Youth study center as the "audie home".
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