‘Serial sex attacker’ in custody

A ‘SERIAL rapist’ was in Garda custody last night in connection with the suspected violent rape and robbery of three prostitutes, the Irish Daily Mail can reveal. The Romanian man has been described by security sources as ‘extremely dangerous’.

He was last night being questioned at Lucan Garda Station in south Dublin over the alleged rape of a sex worker in Co. Galway a number of weeks ago, in which she was beaten and a knife was put to her throat.

Gardaí from Clondalkin in Dublin and Portlaoise in Co. Laois are also on notice to arrest him over two other allegations of rapes and robbery involving women in their areas over the last six weeks.

For several weeks, an investigation team has been tracking the alleged rapist, and the suspect was arrested as he left his home in Dublin yesterday morning by car.

It is understood that detectives had set up a ‘honey trap’ to try to entice the suspect to meet a prostitute in the capital. However, using technology, gardaí traced him to his home before this trap was executed.

Gardaí have obtained DNA samples and statements of complaint from three prostitutes he is believed to have raped, robbed and beaten.

As well as technological evidence, gardaí also have obtained ‘significant’ evidence placing him at the three scenes where the women were allegedly attacked.

A senior source said: ‘We are confident we have significant evidence against this suspect in three cases, and he will be charged – and other cases are being pursued.’

The alleged victims had all advertised themselves as prostitutes on one of Ireland’s best known escort websites.

Gardaí have also established that the suspect – who has been living in Dublin for some time, according to sources – met up to ten other prostitutes after soliciting them online over a number of months.

Officers are trying to track down the women, all of whom are believed to be Eastern European.

‘We seriously doubt these other women received their payment for having sex with this man and there was no violence,’ a source said.

It is understood gardaí are liaising with Romanian police about the suspect. It will be examined if he was working for a ‘prostitution crime gang’ who are unhappy at prostitutes leaving their homeland for the more lucrative Irish sex industry.

However, a senior source stressed that there was ‘nothing to suggest this’ at present.

‘We’re confident he’ll be charged’