DHS man arrested in sexual assault of gay man during Palm Springs dating app hookup
Police have made an arrest in the sexual assault of a gay man during a hookup on a dating app earlier this year in Palm Springs.
The suspect, Hakan Isik, 56, Desert Hot Springs, was placed under arrest Wednesday morning. Jail records show the suspect was booked into the John Benoit Detention Center in Indio at 3:30 p.m. He is being held on $55,000 bail.
Isik faces charges of Penetration with a foreign object, Sodomy, Elder Abuse, False Imprisonment, and Administer a drug to commit a felony.
"In order to safeguard the integrity of the case and uphold the rights of all parties involved, we are unable to disclose further details related to the case," reads a news release by the Department.
The attack happened in January. PSPD confirmed in its news release that the case was brought to their attention in January.
"Investigating sexual assault cases can take time as it requires the meticulous examination of evidence, collection of witness statements, medical records, and collaboration with various parties involved," reads PSPD's news release.
The victim, Rand Snell of St. Petersburg, Florida, spoke about the assault with News Channel 3's Jake Ingrassia in late April. Snell said was drugged and assaulted at his hotel by a man during what he expected to be a casual hookup.
"I felt the rush of drugs went into me from behind," Snell said. "It only took a couple of minutes for me to lose control."
Snell was hospitalized, traumatized physically and emotionally
Palm Springs police worked for weeks to track down the suspect, who Snell said is of Turkish origin, in his early 50s, and lives in the Palm Springs or Desert Hot Springs area.
Snell previously said he identified other victims who say they were assaulted by the same man.
PSPD's Lt. Gustavo Araizo told News Channe 3's Samantha Lomibao that there were multiple accounts of other incidents with Isik, however, they couldn't establish crime on the other reports. Only Rand's case.
"Their encounters did not rise to a level of criminality but supported the initial investigation," reads a PSPD news release.
UPDATE 6/2/23: More victims come forward after accused Palm Springs serial rapist arrested
Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates.
