Suspected serial rapist linked to 21 cases

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Dressed in an orange jail uniform, Herman Whitfield said nothing in his brief appearance in court Wednesday. Though he is no stranger to the court system, it has just come to light that he's linked to 21 sexual assaults, mostly in Houston's Sunnyside neighborhood.

One of the cases happened in 1994. Ivory Moy's daughter was the victim. However, Moy had no idea Whitfield was recently charged with raping his daughter until Eyewitness News told him.

"I think he should be dealt with," said Moy.

In 1994, Moy's daughter, then in her early 20s, was walking from a bus stop along Cullen in Houston's Sunnyside neighborhood. She was on her way to visit Moy. That's when she was grabbed and raped in an abandoned house. The family was devastated.

"We called the police department, they came out," said Moy, but he added there were no arrests. Nothing happened.

Twenty years would pass. Then, in 2014, the testing of thousands of Houston Police Department backlogged rape kits singled out Whitfield as the so-called Sunnyside serial rapist, and he was charged with four assaults. However, it wasn't until two months ago that Whitfield was charged in the Moy case.

"These are very serious charges and they want to go to trial, prosecutors want to go to trial in April," said Jeff McShan, spokesperson for the Harris County District Attorney's Office.

In court Wednesday, the judge urged Whitfield to admit his guilt and spare the victims a trial. Ivory Moy, though, says after 21 years, he can't wait to go to court for his daughter.

"I'm glad the court had caught him because of the fact that, had I known who he was at that time, I probably would be in jail for doing something to him."