The man suspected of being the NorCal Rapist made his first appearance in court this afternoon. Roy Charles Waller was led into the court room in downtown Sacramento to face charges of sexual assaults involving 10 women in six counties dating back to 1991. The 58-year-old did not enter a plea.
Waller was read a list of charges that included rape by means of force. In total, he is facing 12 counts of forcible sexual assault and is being held in the Sacramento County jail without bail.
He was arrested by the Sacramento Police Department last Thursday at his job on the campus of UC Berkeley after being linked to the case by DNA evidence. Waller is due back in court later this year on October 30.
Nicole Ernest-Payte, the first victim of the NorCal Rapist, says she wants to be a source of support for other victims of sexual assault. Ernest-Payte was inside the courtroom in downtown Sacramento for the first appearance of Waller before a judge.
"If I can be a voice that is strong enough to help other women stand up and know that they can have a wonderful life and speak their truth, and they can be believed and find other people that will support them, that's what I'm here to do," Ernest-Payte said.
Nicole Ernest-Payte and her husband, Carlos Payte