Suspected teenage serial rapist who lured victims via WeChat nabbed in Langkawi

A suspected teenage serial rapist, wanted in connection with 10 cases for which he used the WeChat media platform to lure the victims was arrested by the police in Langkawi yesterday.

A police team nabbed the 19-year-old former hotel employee, based on information from an alleged rape victim who spotted him driving a car here, while in the company of a woman believed to be his next victim.

Langkawi police chief Supt Dr Che Ghazali Che Awang said the suspect, from Alor Setar, was believed to have just arrived in the island with his latest victim when he was caught.

He said initial police investigations revealed that the suspect, nicknamed 'Solleh' was involved in 10 rape cases involving teenage girls, reported at several districts in Kedah and Kuala Lumpur.

"His modus operandi was to use 'Nearby Search' in WeChat to zero in on an intended victim before luring the girl to a quiet place to rape her," he told reporters here today.

Che Ghazali said the suspect would inflict fear on the rape victims by attempting to strangle and assault them, apart from erasing his details from their mobile phones.

He said the suspect's 'reign of terror' began last October, targeting victims who were aged between 16 and 18.

He added the suspect was remanded to facilitate police investigations into the serial rapes.

Che Ghazali advised women to take precautions when contacted by strangers via the social media.