After a jury deadlocked on some charges, a 28-year-old dating app serial rapist confessed to the remaining charges in a plea deal.
Patch Staff
LOS ANGELES, CA – A violent serial rapist who attacked women across the San Fernando Valley was sentenced to 19 years in prison Wednesday after he admitted to his crimes.
In February, a Ventura County jury convicted Charles Edward Gaines III, 28, of forcible sex crimes including forcible sodomy and the attempted rape of two victims but deadlocked on charges involving two other women. In a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty last month to forcibly raping the two additional victims and admitted that one of the victims was a minor at the time of the attack, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
“Gaines targeted women who were vulnerable,” Ventura County Senior Deputy District Attorney Brent Nibecker said in a written statement. “But what he didn’t count on was their bravery. The courage these women showed by assisting in this investigation and then coming to court and sharing what he did to them was exceptional. Their actions served to protect others from being victimized by Gaines.”
Gaines attacked four victims between February 2019 and May 2020, in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
According to prosecutors, the first attack happened in February of 2019 in Northridge.
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Gaines used a fake name on a dating app and picked up his victim to go to the movies. Instead of going to the theater, however, he demanded sexual acts, took away her phone, and forcefully orally copulated and sodomized her, according to prosecutors.
He then dropped her off at a fast food restaurant, where she called 911 and was taken for a sexual assault exam. DNA was collected and entered into a database. Weeks later, Gaines reached out to the victim, and sent messages blaming her, asking for sex acts and threatening her, prosecutors said.
The next attack happened Dec. 10, 2019. Gaines targeted a homeless woman in Encino, offering to let her warm up in his car. When she got into his car, he grabbed her and raped her, according to prosecutors.
"The victim was able to grab Gaines’ cellphone and run from the car. She ran towards a closed grocery store and an employee let her in. Gaines followed and began wrestling her for control of his cellphone," the district attorney's office said in a written statement. "Gaines was able to remove the phone from the victim’s hand and fled. Later that same day, the victim submitted to a sexual assault examination and DNA from the attack was collected."
The third attack happened on March 27, 2020, in Simi Valley. Gaines met a 16-year-old on another dating app using a fake name. Gaines picked the victim up at her house, drove a short distance and raped her in his car, according to prosecutors.
"As she yelled “stop”, Gaines raped her. She continued to struggle and yell, eventually grabbing the door handle and flinging herself out of the vehicle. Gaines jumped into the driver’s seat and drove away," the district attorney's office said. "Shortly after the assault, Gaines texted the victim, threatening to kill her."
That victim also submitted to a sexual assault examination, and DNA was collected.
The final attack of the case happened on May 23, 2020, when Gaines attempted to force a fourth woman in Canoga Park, whom he had dated, into sex, according to prosecutors.
When she refused, he began sending her threatening text messages and attempts at sextortion, prosecutors said. Gaines also told the victim he was outside her residence and if she didn’t come outside and have sex with him, he would ruin her life.
Around that time, the Combined DNA Index System provided suspect DNA matches for the three sexual assaults. When Gaines was arrested in Aurora, Colorado in 2022 on an unrelated matter, a DNA sample was collected and linked him to the three attacks, according to prosecutors.
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