An Ohio man arrested for the rape of a Columbus woman told police he’d done the same, “and more serious,” to at least six other women over the past two years, authorities said.
Terry Smith, Jr. was arrested earlier this week at his apartment, where police encountered another woman who said she’d been raped as well, cops said.
The investigation began Sunday night, when 21-year-old Shirley Koval went to police and reluctantly described how she’d met Smith through an online dating service, and had spent time with him, and some of her friends, about a week ago, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
On Sunday, he invited her over to watch a movie. He raped her when she got there, she told police.
She didn’t immediately report it because she thought it was her fault. “I knew I shouldn’t have went,” she said Wednesday. “I know I’m smarter than that.”
Her 11-year-old sister persuaded her to speak up. Koval went to the hospital later that night, and the investigation of Smith began.
Although many media outlets don’t name rape victims, the young woman told the paper she wanted to tell her story and allowed her name to be used.
Smith was arrested Monday at his home, in the company of a 25-year-old woman who said she, too, had been assaulted.
Police have the names of six other women Smith admitted to attacking. Columbus cops are asking for those women, and any others, to come forward and identify Smith as their assailant.
“He said he was really surprised the other girls hadn’t come forward,” said Sgt. Terry McConnell. The other rapes he committed were “more serious than this,” McConnell quoted him as saying.
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