Date Rape Suspect to Go on House Arrest

Andrew Luster, the wealthy Mussel Shoals, Calif., man accused of drugging and raping three women, was expected to be released on house arrest today after posting bail.

Luster, the great-grandson of cosmetics magnate Max Factor, will be confined to his home and monitored with an electronic anklet to prevent him from fleeing.

Roger Jon Diamond, Luster’s attorney, said his client is ecstatic about going home for the holidays after spending five months in jail. “It’s like the end of a nightmare for him. He looks forward to . . . being reunited with his family.”

In July, Ventura County Superior Court Judge Art Gutierrez placed Luster on $10 million bail, but an appellate court reduced it to $1 million last week, saying that the higher bail violated Luster’s rights.

Prosecutors had argued that Luster, whose net worth is estimated at $30 million, might use his family’s money to flee the country. But his attorneys said that Luster is not a flight risk and that the higher bail amount was unreasonable.

The appellate court’s guidelines for Luster’s release include the electronic monitor, drug tests and random searches. He also may not contact the alleged victims, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department is holding his passport.

Luster, 37, was arrested in July on suspicion of drugging and raping three women at his home. His arrest came after a 21-year-old Santa Barbara woman told authorities that Luster sedated her with a “date rape” drug known as GHB and sexually assaulted her.

Authorities later identified a second alleged victim from homemade videos of sedated women. The third alleged victim, a former girlfriend, came forward and said Luster also drugged and raped her.