By News 10 |
Posted: Mon 11:31 PM, Oct 08, 2018 |
Updated: Tue 7:25 AM, Oct 09, 2018
FLINT, Mich. (WILX) -- The Genesee County prosecutor says a "major league investigation" is happening right now after the discovery of hundreds of videos at the home of an alleged rapist.
So far, six victims have been identified, but there could be hundreds more.
The Genesee County Prosecutor says nearly 500 videotapes were found inside the man's home on Stanford Avenue in Flint. He's working now with the Flint Police Department to see what's on them.
Sixty-year-old Gilbert Conway is facing 77 felony charges. He's accused of kidnapping and raping six women, dating back to 2009.
When Flint Police arrested him in July, they searched Conway's home and Prosecutor David Leyton says they found several VHS tapes and nearly 500 'hi8' videotapes.
Each one of those 'hi8' tapes runs at least eight hours.
"We believe from looking at some of the 'hi8' tapes that there are additional victims being sexually assaulted while being videotaped and we want to be able to look at those videotapes and hopefully identify these additional victims," Leyton said.
It's not clear how far back Conway's potential crime spree goes, but Leyton says a pattern is developing.
"Sometimes some of these folks are out there, they're in bars or clubs or whatever and maybe he preyed upon them. We're looking for a pattern like that, but I don't think we've established anything yet," Leyton said.
He says Conway could have anywhere from dozens to hundreds of more victims.
"We have a serial rapist on our hands and we need to fully investigate this. We need to completely identify each and every victim because each and every victim deserves his or her day in court," Leyton said.
But to identify them, Leyton says they need to digitize the tapes. The Genesee County Board of Commissioners approved $20,000 to make that possible.
It's not clear how long it'll take the resource-strapped Flint Police Department to look through the hundreds of them before his office determines if more charges can be issued.
"The good news is this person is already incarcerated. He's in the jail and it's my goal now to find justice for all of his victims and convict him of the crimes for which I've already charged him," Leyton said.
The Genesee County prosecutor is urging any victims, or anyone who has information about this case to call the police.
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