An Indiana man is facing extradition to Philadelphia in connection to multiple rapes in the city, and is a potential suspect in similar crimes in eight other states, the Philadelphia district attorney says.
Kevin Bennett, 28, was arrested in Indiana Saturday over allegations that he raped three women in Philadelphia during the month of May. Bennett is accused of frequenting night clubs to scout potential victims and then stalking them back to their homes to assault them, according to Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner.
“I hope that Philadelphia residents join us in expressing our gratitude to the survivors who decided to speak out in order to prevent further trauma to others and help bring Mr. Bennett to justice,” Krasner said in a statement Monday.
Bennett was in custody in the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Indiana as of Monday afternoon, according to inmate records. It is unclear if he has retained an attorney.
He is expected to be formally charged following extradition to Philadelphia, where he faces multiple counts of rape, involuntary deviate sexual Intercourse, robbery, burglary and stalking, the prosecutor’s office said.
Police identified Bennett in a press release Friday, naming him as a suspect in a rape by point of handgun and related crimes from May 16 to May 18, listing his last known address in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Police say Bennett allegedly assaulted or attempted to assault multiple women last week, all but one of which were employees of various gentlemen's clubs, according to NBC Philadelphia.
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The FBI assisted Philadelphia detectives in identifying Bennett through surveillance footage, forensic evidence, and eyewitness testimony. Bennett is a potential suspect in similar crimes in eight other states, Krasner's office said.
The FBI did not have comment on Bennett’s possible connections with the other crimes when reached by NBC News for more information Monday. He has not been arrested and currently does not face charges in any of the other crimes where he’s a potential suspect.
“Over the course of approximately four days, Kevin Bennett terrorized and assaulted numerous women in Philadelphia,” Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Branwen McNabb said in a statement Monday. “Thanks to the courage of these victims coming forward ... this suspect was taken into custody and women in Philadelphia and surrounding counties are safer today.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673. The hotline, run by the Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN), can put you in contact with your local rape crisis center. You can also access RAINN’s online chat service at https://www.rainn.org/get-help.