Not Your Typical Rapist

Rape is one of the most heinous crimes one can commit and I'm sure it's one of the most horrible things an individual can experience. It is defined as "the act of making someone partake involuntarily in sex acts through violence, force, threat of injury, or instances where the victim is unable to decline advances due to the effects of drugs or alcohol." When we hear about rape in the news or media, we usually hear about a male offender raping a female. While this is the most common form of rape, there are cases of men being raped by other men. This is a current story occurring in Baytown, Texas, a suburb of Houston. There is a serial rapist preying on young men in Baytown and surrounding areas. All of his victims have been young men in their late teens. He has struck at least five times since April, spreading fear in this working class community. According to criminologist Jack Levin, "It's the least prevalent kind of serial rape, and largely underreported." Experts say male on male rape usually stems from sexual encounters gone bad, however, this isn't the case with the serial rapist in Baytown.

The serial rapist in Baytown systematically identifies and stalks his victims before attacking them at gunpoint or knifepoint in or near their homes. He sometimes robs his victims but rape seems to be his primary motive, according to police captain Roger Clifford. Police are hoping to find a link between all of the victims in efforts to have a better chance of catching the rapist.

The U.S. Department of Justice says one in 33 men has been a victim of rape or attempted rape, compared to one in six women. These numbers are just estimates because many rape victims don't come forward to report the assault. Men are far less likely to report being a victim of rape to authorities than their women counterparts. The reason for this is because men don't want to be viewed as being weak or "less of a man." Many victims are just too ashamed to come forward.

There is a lot mental and emotional distress that stems from being raped. This distress is probably more prevalent in men who don't want to think that their masculinity has been taken away. Rape victims may suffer severe emotional problems and frequent flashbacks of the assault. They may be left feeling like they can't trust anyone and that they aren't safe anywhere. Some rape victims have difficulty functioning and can develop stress or psychological disorders as well as Rape Trauma Syndrome. Rape Trauma Syndrome is divided into two phases, the Acute Phase and the Reorganization Phase. In the Acute Phase, victims may experience feelings of shock, disbelief, being dirty, humiliation, rage, denial, or restlessness. After the Acute Phase, the rape survivor enters the Reorganization Phase, where they attempt to get their life back on track. This phase is also full of many different emotions, as the individual still has painful memories of being raped.

Everyone responds to being raped differently. Authorities in Baytown, Texas are hoping that if there are more victims of this serial rapist, that they will come forward and possibly provide more information that can lead to his arrest. The most recent reported attack occurred on November 30, 2006. So far no one has been seriously hurt but police are worried that the attacker will use his weapon if the victim insists on fighting him. The rapist has been described as a clean-shaven black male between 18 and 21 years old, 5-foot-10 to 6 feet tall, and about 200 pounds, with a shaven head. Police have released a sketch of the Baytown rapist and have been circulating flyers around the town. Residents have also been spreading the word and advising young men to stay safe. The local newspaper, The Baytown Sun, has run the sketch of the attacker and details of the crimes nearly everyday since the most recent attack.

Parents are worried about their sons who fit this serial rapist target group. Says one mother, "I have selfish reasons for wanting this guy caught. I have a son who fits this guy's target group. I want him off the streets and locked up like yesterday." Who can blame her? I'm sure many other people in this town echo her sentiments. Anyone with information about the Baytown serial rapist is encouraged to called the local police department at (281) 422-8281. Hopefully this guy is caught an locked up before he can hurt anyone else.