RICHMOND, Va. — A Richmond prosecutor said five additional victims have come forward after a Church Hill man was arrested for breaking into a woman’s home and exposing himself to her.
Richard Poindexter appeared in Richmond Circuit Court Thursday morning for a bond appeal hearing where Judge Tracy Thorne-Begland denied his release from jail.
“I think you’re a risk to the community,” the judge told Poindexter.
Police said First Precinct officers arrested Poindexter, 44 of Richmond, on April 26, about a month after the start of their investigation.
On March 28, police said they took a report of an unknown man who had committed stalking offenses and entered the home of a woman in the Church Hill area and attempted to assault her while exposing himself.
The woman was able to run out of her home and call police.
Richmond Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jennifer Nesbitt told the court Poindexter obtained the victim’s phone number after knocking on her door and offered to shovel her property during this year’s winter storms. She said the suspect proceeded to send harassing and sexual text messages from two different phone numbers before breaking into her home.
Poindexter was charged with misdemeanor stalking, misdemeanor indecent exposure, felony kidnapping, felony abduction, felony use of a firearm in commission of a felony, and felony burglary with a firearm.
Nesbitt said at least five additional victims have come forward alleging Poindexter exposed himself to them in a Church Hill park as they exercised.
In one instance, Nesbitt said Poindexter is accused of entering the home of another woman who fought back but was unable to identify the suspect at the time.
The prosecution called the defendant a “public menace” and a “serial public masturbator.”
Poindexter’s mother appeared in court in support of her son, according to Richmond Assistant Public Defender, Samantha Mier. However, his mother left in the middle of the prosecution's arguments.
Mier said her client had received death threats while in jail due to media coverage of his arrest and would be safer on house arrest in the home of either his uncle or mother.
She said Poindexter helped his mother with chores and her medication and is a father to a newborn girl. Poindexter has lived in Richmond his entire life and recently worked cleaning up construction sites.
Vernon Plack was one of two men from Church Hill who showed up to court in support of the alleged victims.
“We certainly did learn a lot more, and I think it also brings to light the reason the community as a whole is so concerned about this issue,” Plack said following the hearing. “It appears a lot of people are coming forward to suggest this has been going on for quite some time.”
Poindexter is being held without bond and is due back in court on May 28.
Online court records showed Poindexter was found guilty of three counts of misdemeanor indecent exposure in 2012 and was given a 4-month active sentence by a Richmond judge. He also has several drug convictions since 2005.
The defense said Poindexter has not been arrested or accused of a crime since being released from jail in 2023 following a firearm conviction.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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