Man charged in assault of woman lured to L.A. via Craigslist

An Arkansas man who posed as a musician was charged Tuesday with sexually assaulting a 21-year-old Illinois woman in Glendale after she responded to his Craigslist job posting for a personal assistant, police said.

Garry Dwayne Boga, who also used the name “Tavion,” faces one felony count of sexual penetration by a foreign object, felony sexual battery by fraud, two felony counts of assault on his cohabitant and felony robbery, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court criminal complaint.

Although Boga, 27, was charged in only one incident, Glendale police detectives believe he may have other victims because they found a detailed list with names of young women who were mostly from the Midwest and may have come to Los Angeles in hopes of becoming Hollywood stars, Sgt. Tom Lorenz said.

“This was strictly a ruse to engage young women out of state that are naïve and are looking to make it big in Hollywood,” Lorenz said. “He took advantage of that.”

Detectives are asking for the public’s help in identifying any additional victims and are urging victims to come forward.

Police believe other women who responded to Boga’s Craigslist ad have not reported any assault to authorities because they might be embarrassed, they are out of state or are afraid to tell their families.

Boga was arrested last Wednesday in Burbank after the woman reported the sexual assault, which occurred in an apartment in Glendale, according to police.

Boga, who has multiple aliases, alleged that he was in the music industry, even though he is not, and that he needed an assistant, Lorenz said. He is reportedly a transient from Arkansas and has ties to a Glendale address, according to police.

The woman and Boga agreed to meet for an interview on March 13 outside a building in Hollywood, police said.

Once Boga arrived to the area, however, he reportedly told her he was running late for another appointment and asked her to enter his car so they could talk about the job as he headed to his next meeting, police said.

Boga instead drove the woman to an apartment in Glendale, where police said he reportedly told her that she needed to first undergo a physical examination as part of the job interview.

He allegedly lied and led the woman to believe he was a medical professional as he sexually assaulted her, Lorenz said. After the assault, Boga drove the woman to Hollywood, police said.

Detectives later talked to the woman and were able to corroborate her story, Lorenz said.

Boga, who remains in police custody, was convicted of robbery in San Bernardino in October 2007, according to court records.

Anyone who has been victimized or has information about Boga may call Det. Ernesto Torres at (818) 548-3106. To remain anonymous, call Glendale Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.