Officials: Man targeted women online

Prosecutors are seeking possible victims of a Yorba Linda man accused of raping three women in Orange County, including one in Newport Beach.

Jason Ara Erpinar, 20, is charged with two counts of rape using drugs, forcible rape, and sentencing enhancements for multiple victims. He is scheduled to appear in court today for a pre-trial hearing in Fullerton court.

On March 26, 2008, Erpinar met a 22-year-old woman on the social networking site MySpace and invited her to a Newport Beach hotel room, prosecutors said. There, he drugged her and raped her, authorities said. The woman woke up with a cracked tooth and scrapes on her face, authorities said.

Erpinar has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

In March of this year, authorities claim Erpinar met another girl, this one 18 years old, on MySpace. He invited her to a party in La Habra and once there, he drugged her and raped her a bathroom, prosecutors said.

While police were investigating that incident, they contacted Erpinar’s ex-girlfriend, who said that between August 2006 and October 2007, she was in a physically abusive relationship with him and he raped her several times, officials said.

Erpinar faces up to 45 years to life in prison if convicted of all charges. He is being held in lieu of $1-million bail.

Anyone with information or who believes they’ve been a victim is encouraged to call Dist. Atty. Investigator Tim Craig at (714) 347-8558.