UPDATE 9/6/2018: Bond was set for rape suspect Kenyon Johnson during a court hearing Thursday: $100,000 for an aggravated rape charge, and $200,000 for aggravated robbery and rape.
Memphis police are still working to determine if there are more victims.
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UPDATE 9/5/2018: Memphis Police have charged 24-year-old Kenyon Johnson with two counts of Aggravated Rape.
According to the police affidavit, officers were called August 16th by a 25-year-old woman who said she had met a man at the Valero gas station on S. Parkway two days before. They exchanged numbers, and she told investigators he called the next day, and arranged to meet her at his house in the 1900 block of Olive Bark that night, “before his girlfriend came home.”
When she arrived, she told police he called her, telling her to be quiet because his baby was sleeping. When she walked in, she said he put a gun to her side, then raped her.
Police say they were called August 30th by a 40-year-old woman who said she had met a man on Beale Street on the 25th, and exchanged numbers. She said he called her the 30th, asking her to come to his home in the 1900 block of Olive Bark that night, again saying “before his girlfriend came home.”
She told police when she arrived, he called her telling her to be quiet because his baby was sleeping. When she walked in, just like the previous incident, the woman said the man put a gun to her side and raped her.
Police say they identified Johnson through fingerprints left at an abandoned house on Olive Bark. They say during questioning, he admitted to entering the abandoned houses on Olive Bark, and telling the women to meet him there and having sex with them both nights.
It’s unclear if Johnson is also the suspect MPD warned about luring women on social media.
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(ORIGINAL STORY 9/3/2018)
A warning to women using social media, be extra cautious. This comes as investigators alert the public about a serial rapist in the Mid-South.
Memphis Police put the information out on social media Saturday about a man who lures women in using social media and then attacks them. As of Monday, Memphis Police said the department hasn’t made any arrests.
“Just stop. This is not right it’s not right. If there’s something underlying that’s going on get to the root of whatever the problem is that you want to hurt other people,” said Sherlyn Cooper. “Clearly there is something wrong if he is hurting women.”
“Me personally, he’s gonna die any day,” said another woman. “That’s how I feel about it. What he’s doing is wrong.”
Those strong reactions and others came as neighborhoods in northeast Raleigh learned that a man is sexually assaulting women in the area.
On Saturday MPD sent out a message alerting the public about the suspect.
The department wrote:
“Investigators with the Memphis Police Department’s Sex Crimes Bureau have identified several sexual assaults which appear to be similar in nature. Investigators believe that these sexual assaults are concentrated in the northeast Raleigh area of Memphis. The victims reportedly all met the suspect either in person or through social media and were then lured to different areas where the sexual assaults occurred.
The suspect is described as a male Black, early to mid-20’s, light to medium complexion and usually wears sweat/jogging type pants. The suspect is known to be armed with a black handgun.”
He deserves to be locked up,” said Alecia Bowens. “I mean, you have to respect a woman it’s a woman.”
Memphis Police won’t say how many victims there are in total or what type of social media platforms the suspect is using. Regardless, women told Local 24 when it comes to the digital world, you have to be on guard.
“Don’t ever get too comfortable that you compromise your safety,” said Cooper. “If you’re single lady take advantage of some self-defense or gun class if you need to, whatever it takes.”
“Social media, I don’t think it’ good idea to be on,” said Bowens. “It’s too much trouble. My advice to anyone would be to delete social media”
The Memphis Police Department suggests that citizens exercise the following safety tips.
- Always meet in a public well-lit place.
- Never meet anyone alone or in an area that you are not familiar with.
- Do not get in a vehicle with someone you do not know. Drive yourself or have a friend ride with you.
- Make sure you have your cell phone with you for emergency calls
- After meeting with someone, and you start feeling uneasy or concerned in any way, trust your feelings. Walk away, leave the area.
If anyone has any information concerning these investigations, call Crime Stoppers at 901-528-CASH.
