A Ventura County man was convicted of raping and sexually assaulting five women he met through dating apps and social media.
Dustin Ronald Alba, 30, of Oxnard, was convicted of the crimes by a jury on June 9, the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced.
The crimes occurred from 2012 to 2020 and took place in locations across Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, and Los Angeles.
Many of Alba’s victims met him through dating apps or social media. They would typically meet up in person before being forced into sexual acts by Alba, prosecutors said.
“Despite repeated pleas for him to stop, he would use his body weight to pin down the victims and ignore their objections,” court documents said.
In an August 2020 incident, Alba met up with a woman he had connected with on a dating app. The woman told him ahead of their meeting that she was not looking to “hook up.”
They spent the day together before ending up at his home. That’s when “Alba ripped her clothing, pulled her onto the bed, and proceeded to digitally penetrate and rape her, against her will,” court documents said.
Out of fear, the woman complied. She immediately reported the rape to law enforcement when she left his home.
While the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, Alba’s cell phone was searched and detectives discovered text messages showing other women who had been victimized, sexually assaulted, and raped by him.
Four additional victims were later found. One of the victims was under 18 years old at the time, authorities said.
On June 9, Alba was convicted of nine felony counts of forcible sex acts, including rape, sodomy, and attempted forcible rape, on five separate victims.
Special allegations found true included that there were multiple victims, but he took advantage of a position of trust, the victims were vulnerable and that he had engaged in violent conduct.
“I extend my sincere gratitude to the jury for their diligent and thoughtful examination of all the evidence,” said Rosa Romero, a Ventura County District Attorney who prosecuted the case. “While justice for these victims was delayed, their verdict means that it was not denied. I sincerely hope that this decision offers the victims a sense of closure as they move forward in their healing process.”
A sentencing hearing is scheduled on July 9 at the Ventura County Superior Court. Alba faces 111 years to life in state prison. He remains in custody without bail.
