Phony salesman accused of raping woman with disability in The Woodlands

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (KTRK) -- A woman with an intellectual disability was sexually assaulted by a man who pretended to be a door-to-door magazine salesman, Montgomery County deputies said.

Benjamen Gilbert, 37, was charged with raping the 48-year-old woman in her apartment located in the 4500 block of South Panther Creek Drive in the Woodlands.

The woman told deputies that Gilbert arrived at her apartment on Jan. 6 selling magazines. After speaking for a few moments, the woman says Gilbert came into the apartment and they sat on a sofa.

While in the apartment, the woman told deputies that Gilbert sexually assaulted her and then left.

Throughout the investigation, deputies learned that Gilbert was also involved in another similar incident where he was going door-to-door selling magazines in the Woodlands area.

On Jan. 2, a resident called deputies stating that she felt Gilbert was trying to gain access to her home. Deputies detained Gilbert, but later released him because no crime had been committed.

On Jan. 8, deputies were dispatched to another call about a suspicious person in the Woodlands area. Deputies arrived and arrested Gilbert on an outstanding warrant.

He's currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $250,000 bond.

Anyone with information regarding a similar incident is asked to contact the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office at 936-760-5800 or Multi-County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-392-STOP.