Houston police say a 62-year-old Atascocita man is in custody after DNA evidence allegedly tied him to four aggravated sexual assaults that stretch from the late 1990s to 2016 in north Houston neighborhoods. Authorities identified the suspect as Phillip Cerf and say the attacks unfolded over nearly three decades in and around Acres Homes and Independence Heights.
According to court records and reporting by ABC13, investigators say the earliest case dates back to June 1997, when a woman who accepted a ride in Acres Homes was driven to a ballpark in Independence Heights and sexually assaulted at gunpoint. Police later linked Cerf to an April 2009 attack in which a woman reported being lured into a car and taken to a graveyard in Acres Homes, a June 2013 assault that led to a police sketch, and a July 2016 attack in north Houston. Investigators say DNA collected from the victims was ultimately matched to a sample obtained after undercover officers began watching Cerf, and court documents show his bond has been set at $2,000,000.
Forensics And Cold-Case Work
Cold-case reviews and advances in forensic genetics have become central to reviving long-stalled sexual assault investigations. The Harris County SART 2023 biennial report outlines the county's sexual assault caseload, how quickly lab tests are processed, and how eligible DNA profiles move into state and national databases that can link suspects and victims across years and jurisdictions. That kind of system helps explain how detectives can pull old evidence off the shelf, get a DNA hit, and then shift to targeted surveillance of a potential suspect.
How Investigators Say They Caught Him
Investigators say undercover officers began staking out Cerf's Atascocita apartment in April. According to charging documents, one officer saw Cerf spit on the ground, collected a swab of the saliva and sent it to the lab for testing. Lab results allegedly showed the DNA from that spit matched profiles developed from all four victims, according to ABC13. Cerf reportedly denied the allegations in an interview with investigators, saying he never owned a gun and did not give people rides. He was booked on Tuesday and remains held on a $2 million bond.
Charges, Penalties And Where To Get Help
Cerf faces four counts of aggravated sexual assault - a charge that under Section 22.021 of the Texas Penal Code can involve sexual penetration combined with force, threats, or the use of a weapon. Court dates will be set in Harris County criminal court, and Cerf is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in a court of law.
Anyone with information about the alleged attacks is asked to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS or the Harris County Victim Assistance Unit at 713-274-9369. Investigators say they hope additional survivors or witnesses will step forward.
