A Los Anges man with a “distinctive body odor” has been linked to a series of sexual assaults, according to police — who made an appeal for more victims to come forward to authorities.
Benjamin Parke Belser, 36, was arrested on Feb. 4 at his Village Green home in connection with a series of sexual assaults dating back to 2017, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Authorities claimed that Belser met his victims online and used “elaborate ruses” to conceal his identity. Witnesses, on the other hand, described the North Carolina native as having a “distinctive body odor.”
Investigators have identified five of Belser’s alleged victims, but they believe there are more who have not come forward.
“Cases like this are especially heartbreaking because people are often reluctant to report sex crimes because they’re embarrassed,” Detective Asia Hodge of the Special Assault Section said in the statement.
“But if these many survivors are already speaking out, we think there may be more people who are waiting to speak up. We need their help to hold him accountable”
The attacks in West Los Angeles, Koreatown, and Downtown Los Angeles are thought to have occurred between 2017 and at least 2022, when the investigation into Belser began.
Belser, who stands 6’5″ and weighs 170 pounds, was still being held on $6.2 million bail as of Tuesday afternoon, according to court records.
According to FOX, he faces 12 felony counts, including rape, forced sodomy, forced oral copulation, and sexual penetration with a foreign object.
“We’re pleased that the District Attorney’s office filed charges, but the work has only just begun,” Hodge said of Belser’s arrest.
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source:nsemwokrom.com
