Rape Suspect Appears in Court

DENVER – A serial rape suspect who was arrested after a manhunt and a high-speed chase appeared in court Sunday and was told he is under investigation for charges including sexual assault and kidnapping.

Brent J. Brents (search), 35, who was released by Aurora (search) police last fall even though he allegedly had admitted abusing an 8-year-old boy, is suspected of sexually assaulting at least five women and girls in Denver (search) this month and of raping another woman in October.

Formal charges had not yet been filed, but Brents appeared Sunday before Denver County Magistrate Julie Anderson, who advised him that his bail had been set at $25 million.

The father of the 8-year-old boy watched Sunday's hearing.

"I don't think he realizes what he did. I think he thinks it's OK," Scott Roenfeldt said. "He just needs to grow old somewhere in a nice little cell until the end of his days."

Brents spoke only two words during the hearing, answering "Yes, ma'am" when the magistrate asked if he understood that he was to have no contact with potential witnesses.

Brents is suspected in sexual assaults on the five women and girls — including two 11-year-old sisters and their 67-year-old grandmother — earlier this month in one Denver neighborhood.

He was arrested Friday after allegedly beating a woman and stealing her car and cell phone. The victim of Friday's attack was in serious but stable condition at a Denver hospital, police said.

Brents was with a woman whom police described as a victim, but they did not immediately disclose whether she had been kidnapped.

Police encouraged other possible victims to come forward.

"We have significant reason to believe that there are many, many additional victims," said Dave Fisher, the police department's chief of investigations.

Brents had been released from prison in July after being sent to a state hospital for about three years and then to prison for 14 years for raping a young boy and a girl.