Cops: 19-year-old raped at least 9 women, starting at age 16

CHESTER, Pa. -- Police in suburban Philadelphia said a 19-year-old man is accused of raping at least nine women, starting when he was 16.

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan said DeJohn Lee has been in custody since early January, when one of his accusers saw him in a grocery store and called police.

Whelan said nine women were attacked separately, from 2014 to early 2017.

Authorities said Lee preyed on female victims from the early morning hours into the evening at various areas within the city. While on foot or bicycle, they said Lee attacked the women while they were walking or distracted, and forcibly dragged them to secluded locations, where he would sexually assault, rape and/or rob them by gunpoint.

"This individual would stalk women, he would terrorize women, he would hide, and he would wait for young women to be walking alone," Whelan said.

Whelan said Lee has confessed to all the crimes for which he is charged.

Lee has been charged with a series of felony charges relating to the assault of nine victims including six counts of rape, two counts of attempted homicide, nine counts of aggravated assault and a series of other related charges including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, robbery, firearms charges, and drug possession and possessing instruments of crime.

"Most of these victims were fighting him. They were then terrorized and some of them conceded to his wishes where he would rob them, rape them. He would do so with forcible compulsion," Whelan said.

The DA says Lee has served time before on gun charges, but was never arrested for any sex crimes; it was only last winter when he was locked up on another gun charge that they decided to do a DNA test, which did not yield results until recently.

Whelan believes there may be many more victims out in the Chester area and is asking them to come forward if they recognize Lee.

Lee had no comment for reporters on the way to his arraignment Thursday. No attorney information is available online.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.