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William Phelps IV, 33, was arrested and faces multiple charges following a 14-year investigation into multiple rapes in Norfolk, according to police investigators on Monday, Oct. 17.
Specifically, Phelps was charged with:
- Rape;
- Three counts of forcible sodomy;
- Two counts of aggravated sexual battery;
- Two counts of abduction;
- Use of a firearm;
- Wearing a mask in public.
According to investigators, at approximately 7 a.m. on Jan. 9, 2008, two teen girls were sexually assaulted in the 2900 block of Verdun Avenue, and the investigation determined that the suspect implicated in those was involved in two other rapes in the City of Norfolk as well as one in the City of Chesapeake.
Police say that despite an intensive investigation, no suspect was initially identified and the case went cold until August, when new evidence surfaced from an arrest made by Virginia State Police that linked Phelps to those incidents.
A spokesperson for the Norfolk Police Department said that “this case represents the steadfast determination and teamwork of law enforcement officers who bring predators to justice, no matter how long it takes.”
Phelps is being held at the Norfolk County Jail without bond. No initial court date has been announced.
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