More victims come forward after accused Palm Springs serial rapist arrested

More victims have stepped forward following the arrest of a 56-year-old man accused of multiple assaults, including felony sexual assaults.

Hakan Isik of Desert Hot Springs was charged with violently attacking five individuals over the past year, and additional victims have now come forward to share their harrowing experiences.

News Channel 3 reported the charges against Hakan Isik Wednesday. He pleaded not guilty last week.

Rand Snell, one of the victims, bravely spoke out about his ordeal. Snell believes he was the first to report Isik's sexual assault to the police.

According to Snell, Isik drugged and assaulted him in a hotel room while he was visiting Palm Springs from Florida. The two met on a dating app, and Snell was subjected to a brutal rape, burning, beating, and biting.

Court documents allege Isik's involvement in attacks on four other individuals. The charges span nine felony and misdemeanor counts.

Snell expressed gratitude that his report to the police prompted other victims to speak out. "It was clear to me that I was not the only one just because of the sort of behavior that he, the way he acted. This wasn't a one-off; this was who he was," he said.

Snell immediately reported the assault to the police in January, but Isik was not arrested until mid-May. Two of Isik's alleged attacks took place in May, just days before his arrest.

John Doe #4 was a victim of felony sexual assault on May 6, while John Doe #5 experienced misdemeanor use of force and violence on May 10, court documents say.

Snell believes that these attacks could have been prevented with a swifter police response.

"I'm really sad the police were not able to move more quickly," he said. "I wish it had happened sooner. Two of the assaults at least happened in May. That's just shocking to me that he was still out there doing this right up to the very end."

The Palm Springs Police Department released a statement in April, acknowledging that investigating sexual assault cases can be time-consuming due to the meticulous examination of evidence, collection of witness statements, and collaboration with various parties involved. However, Snell wishes that the community had been alerted sooner.

"It would have been nice to have seen a public warning. There was no public warning of any sort of statement until [KESQ's] initial report...And then it was sort of, 'Be careful on the dating apps.' That's true, but not really helpful."

Palm Springs Police Department is urging more victims to come forward as the case against Hakan Isik continues to expand.