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NorCal Rapist Victims Speak Out As Suspect Appears In Court

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The suspected "NorCal Rapist" was in a Sacramento County courtroom for the first time on Monday.

He did not enter a plea to the 12 charges listed against him by a judge.
Roy Charles Waller, 58 of Benicia, is charged with raping at least 10 victims across Northern California, over a 15-year span.

It was emotional for some of his victims.

"He did not steal my soul from me," said Nicole Ernest-Payte.

She stands strong, 27 years after being assaulted by the alleged NorCal Rapist.

"It's something you think about every single day," she said.

Ernest-Payte was the first of 10 victims who allegedly fell at the hands of Waller. A range of emotions came over her, as she saw Waller behind bars Monday afternoon.

"I just grabbed my husband's hand really hard and I started to shake a little. It's the first time I've been so close to him in 27 years," Ernest-Payte said.

Waller spent 15 years terrorizing women across six Northern California counties. Sacramento Police detectives say Waller would often bind and rape his victims, ransack their homes, and sometimes kidnap them to pull money from out of their bank account.

But an attorney representing Waller in court Monday, says the claims are speculation at this point.

"I don't know the extent of the DNA, or what other material they might have, do they have fingerprints? Do they have other evidence?" questioned attorney Joseph Farina.

Waller was arrested Friday at UC Berkeley, where he held a job as a safety specialist for more than 20 years. His DNA sample came back as a positive match two weeks ago, after years of investigation by the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.

"It's a day we have waited for for a very long time," said Maki Anderson, a second victim.

Overwhelmed, but relieved, Anderson says she's grateful it's Waller's turn to pay. She is another survivor of Waller's alleged sexual assault in Butte County.

"I have seen his face when I was in fear, now I get to see his face when he is in fear," she added.

It's a new journey for Anderson and the nine victims who have lived in fear of Waller's return. As Waller remains behind bars, Anderson's fear now flies free.

"He did not break me."

Waller is back in court on Oct. 30. His attorney tells CBS13 there's at least 100,000 pages of discovery he needs to look at, before moving forward.

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