Man arrested in Harris County sex attacks

Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia discusses the arrest of a suspect in a series of rapes, April 24, 2013. (Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle) Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia discusses the arrest of a suspect in a series of rapes, April 24, 2013. (Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle) Photo: Johnny Hanson Photo: Johnny Hanson Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close Man arrested in Harris County sex attacks 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

A teenage girl helped authorities nab a 25-year-old man sought in seven sexual attacks on escort-service women in north Harris County dating back to 2011.

Charles Eric Devenport is charged with one count of aggravated sexual assault in connection to the most recent attack, Feb. 3 at 990 Cypress Station, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Devenport is suspected in six other sexual attacks in the Cypress Station area, said Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia.

Devenport was arrested about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at his cousin's apartment in the 900 block of Sun Prairie. He is being held in the Harris County jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Garcia said the victims worked for escort services and their average age was 18. He said the attacker made contact with the women through phone chat lines or online. In each case, he would beat the women and then sexually attack them.

"He'd lure them to vacant apartments and assault them and sexual assault them," Garcia said.

In one of the cases, Garica said, the attacker had an accomplice, a woman who directed the victim to the location where she was to meet Devenport.

Garcia said a recent media blitz about the attacks, as well as a billboard showing a composite sketch of the attacker, helped lead to Devenport's arrest.

A teenage girl flagged down a deputy, saying she thought the suspect might be in a nearby apartment. She had seen news reports about the case that included the sketch.

When authorities went to the apartment, they spotted Devenport and he was taken into custody.

A cellphone used to call the victims belonged to Devenport's father, officials said.

Lt. Ruben Diaz, of the Harris County Sheriff's Office Special Victim's Unit, said the father did not fit the description of the women's attackers, but he told investigators his son often used the phone.

Diaz said the father allowed deputies to take a DNA sample from him. Investigators later were able to determine, Diaz said, that one of the man's relatives was a possible match for DNA evidence recovered at one of the assault scenes. That family member, Diaz said, was Devenport.

Garcia urged other people to contact authorities if they were sexually assaulted by Devenport.

"If there are more victims out there," Garcia said, "please step forward."

Anyone with information about the cases is asked to call Crime Stoppers 713 222-TIPS.