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Already serving life, 'stinky rapist' suspect on trial again

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By TOM BRENNAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 4, 2009

TAMPA - She nodded off on the sofa with her baby slumbering on her chest.

But when the 37-year-old woman was shaken from sleep, the baby was gone. A man was holding something sharp to her neck, had a gloved-hand over her mouth and was whispering in her ear to be quiet.

Authorities say the mother of four was the victim of a serial rapist who terrorized women in the University of South Florida area during summer 2007. Deputies began calling the suspect the "stinky rapist" after some victims said the assailant had a foul odor.

Police have charged Jerrod Pass with two counts of sexual assault and armed burglary of a dwelling in the attack June 14, 2007. Testimony began today and is expected to continue throughout the week.

It is the second of 11 cases Pass has been charged with, including eight sexual assaults.

In June, he was convicted of raping a 43-year-old nurse's aide in August 2007. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences.

The victim in the June 2007 assault testified that she and her children had gone straight to sleep after arriving home late from Bible study.

But, as Assistant State Attorney Rita Peters told jurors in her opening statement, the mother's dreams turned into a "surreal nightmare."

The woman said her attacker threatened to kill her and her children if she didn't comply with his demands.

She said the man at first wanted money. He then led her to her bedroom where he raped her.

Her children weren't harmed.

The Tampa Tribune does not identify sex crime victims.

The woman testified that she never saw her attacker.

Police say they obtained Pass' DNA during a sweep of the area; it was later matched to samples taken from the victim.

Authorities monitored Pass' telephone calls from jail and learned he kept a storage unit. Peters said the woman's voter registration card, which was in her purse the night of the attack, was among the items found in the unit.

Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 259-7698.

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