‘Sexual violence thrives in secrecy’: Boise police seek victims of alleged rapist
A Boise man arrested last month is accused of kidnapping and raping a woman, and police said they believe there could be more victims because of social media posts found during their investigation.
Officers arrested Devin Watton, 32, on April 10, according to a Boise Police Department news release, and he was later arraigned on suspicion of a pair of felonies, rape and first-degree kidnapping. He was held at the Ada County Jail on a $300,000 bond, which he later posted, court records showed.
Watton was then indicted by a grand jury on May 12 on the charges, and will appear in front of 4th District Judge Cynthia Yee-Wallace next Tuesday at 1 p.m.
During the investigation, police detectives said they were notified of other possible victims, and they found social media discussions in which women talked about alleged incidents involving Watton or indicated that they might have been victims themselves.
Detectives asked anyone who may have had contact with Watton, witnessed concerning behavior or believe they might be a victim to contact Ada County Dispatch at 208-377-6790.
Boise Police Lt. Tim Brady said in the release that “sexual violence thrives in secrecy.”
“We recognize that coming forward can be extremely difficult, especially when victims fear they may not be believed,” Brady stated. “We encourage anyone with information or anyone who may have experienced similar behavior to contact investigators so we can thoroughly investigate these reports and help ensure community safety.”
The Ada County Victim Services Center will be on hand to help people with counseling, safety planning and other services, the release noted.
