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Bail Increased To $28 Million For Sacramento County 'Roaming Rapist' Suspect

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A Sacramento County Superior Court judge on Tuesday made sure an accused serial rapist will remain behind bars while he awaits trial.

Bail for Dereck Sanders, 39, the suspected "Roaming Rapist" was increased to $28 million.

Dereck Sanders
Dereck Sanders

The judge also ordered TV cameras not to show his face in the courtroom.

Sacramento County investigators say between 1998 and 2003, Sanders victimized 10 women all over the county, including a 14-year-old girl and her 15-year-old friend. In some cases they say he beat the victims or threatened them with a gun. He's facing 35 counts of sexual assault, including 15 of rape by force and nine counts of kidnapping.

Detectives arrested Sanders last week in a quiet Isleton neighborhood after a matching DNA hit.

Neighbors there say he was an avid fisherman, quiet and kept to himself. They never suspected a thing.

"Seemed like a nice guy to me," one neighbor said.

Bernard Clark lives next door to Sanders. They even went fishing together.

"Nothing bad you can say about him," Clark said. "Soft-spoken. Everybody like him. There was really nothing bad to say about the guy."

Amilia Wubbles often plays with her children a few houses down the street from Sanders. She said he appeared cordial.

"I saw him introduce himself to some of our neighbors," she said. "I never met him."

CBS13 knocked on Sanders' door Tuesday but a man inside refused to answer. A woman living with Sanders expressed shock last week after his arrest and said they had three children together

In the courtroom, some family members of the victims winced when hearing the charges. One mother said her daughter is hoping to put that horrible day behind her.

"It's been 15 years and she's got her life together," Polly Sanders said. "She's doing great."

Sanders' next court appearance was scheduled for Dec. 13.

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