DeKalb teen accused of raping 5 women he met on social media
DeKalb County police have arrested an 18-year-old they say raped at least five women he met online.
Demetrius Samuel Roam is charged with rape, kidnapping, aggravated sodomy and aggravated assault in connection with the attacks, DeKalb jail records show.
Roam met his victims on social media platforms such as Snapchat before assaulting them at The Brooke apartment complex in the 2500 block of Shallowford Road near I-85, according to police spokeswoman Michaela Vincent. Three of the alleged rapes happened within the past month, investigators said.
The most recent alleged crime took place around noon on Oct. 23 against a 22-year-old woman, according to the incident report. Roam used a knife during the assault, the report said. The incident was reported later that day to police.
Six days before, Roam is accused of holding a 20-year-old woman at knifepoint and attempting to rape her, according to another incident report. That incident happened about 5 p.m. and the woman, who suffered minor injuries while fighting back, immediately reported the crime, the report said. In addition to rape, Roam was charged with aggravated assault and theft by taking.
Vincent said the other three reports are not being released at this time.
Roam was booked into the DeKalb County Jail on Oct. 24, and he remains there without bond.
Police said he had recently moved to the county and lived with relatives at the apartment complex. He was unemployed at the time.
Authorities believe there could be more alleged victims. Investigators urge anyone who may have been attacked by Roam to contact DeKalb police at 770-724-7710.
About the Author
Asia Simone Burns is a watchdog reporter for the AJC. Burns was formerly an intern in AJC’s newsroom and now writes about crime. She is a graduate of Samford University and has previously reported for NPR and WABE, Atlanta’s NPR member station.
