Suspected serial rapist from Orlando arrested, officials say
Deputies: Suspected serial rapist arrested again
A man suspected of sexually assaulting multiple women has been arrested on charges of sexual battery with a deadly weapon. Vincent Ernest Laing Jr. is accused of meeting a woman and raping her while threatening her with a knife, according to the arrest report. Laing Jr. is also a suspect in five other cases, reportedly similar cases, via the Orlando Police Department, the report said.
PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. - A suspected serial rapist from Orlando – who was out on bond for previous sexual assault arrests – has found himself behind bars, according to deputies.
Vincent Laing Jr. was arrested Wednesday and charged with sexual battery with a deadly weapon by force amid an investigation into the alleged assault of a 41-year-old woman, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
The woman called law enforcement after an encounter with Laing on Tuesday, who she said she met through a "hookup" website, according to an arrest affidavit. He told her to meet him at a home in Wellington, which was abandoned and under construction.
Vincent Laing Jr. was arrested for sexual battery with a deadly weapon by force. (Photo: Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office)
Laing allegedly threatened the woman with a kitchen knife, and forced her to perform oral, vaginal and anal sex with him, which he recorded.
At one point, the woman asked Laing directly if he was going to rape her, and he replied "yes," according to the affidavit. When she asked why he was doing this, he replied, "'cause I can."
He gave her $20 before she left the house, the affidavit said.
The woman, at first, said she wasn't going to report the incident to law enforcement, but she felt Laing's behavior was "unusual" and she suspected that "he had committed this before," the affidavit said.
She searched his phone number, which returned his name – and the woman said she found several news articles about Laing who was previously arrested for sexual assault in Orlando, the affidavit continued.
A Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office detective contacted a detective from the Orlando Police Department, who confirmed that there are five cases she has worked on in which Laing is the suspect.
FOX 35 was able to find two incidents out of Orange County – from June and August 2023 – which show a similar pattern to the Palm Beach County incident.
The affidavit also touched on these similarities, including meeting the victim through personal ads and social media, committing the assault in abandoned residences, possessing a knife, and recording the events on his phone.
Laing was located, arrested and booked into the Palm Beach County Jail without bond.
This is a developing story.