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Virginia Beach serial rapist sentenced to life plus 40 years in prison

Posted at 4:18 PM, Dec 14, 2016
and last updated 2016-12-14 16:20:31-05
Lesiba Simon Matsoake

Lesiba Simon Matsoake

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – The Commonwealth’s Attorney for the city of Virginia Beach, announced Tuesday that 42-year-old Lesiba Simon Matsoake, was formally sentenced today for two counts of Forcible Sodomy for two separate offenses and cases.

On June 29 a jury found Matsoake guiltyof Forcible Sodomy and fixed his punishment at life in prison.

That life sentence today was formally imposed Tuesday.

October 26 a separate juryfound Matsoake guilty of Forcible Sodomy and recommended 40 years in prison. That sentence today was imposed Tuesday as well. The sentences will run consecutively for a total of life plus 40 years in prison, the Commonwealth’s Attorney said.

In the case for which Matsoake received a life sentence, the Commonwealth’s evidence proved that on December 10, 2006, Lesiba Simon Matsoake forced a 23-year-old woman, unknown to him, to perform oral sodomy on him.

The victim had been out with her fiancé and family members having drinks at a bar in the Waterside area of Norfolk, Virginia. Eventually the victim and her fiancé got into a fight and she walked to the parking garage alone.

Matsoake got her into his vehicle. She awoke in a deserted parking lot off Miller Store Road in Virginia Beach, near Norfolk International Airport.

Threatening her with a knife and gun, Matsoake sexually assaulted her. He pulled her hair, scratched her neck, and struck her in the face, causing her to have a black eye. He cleaned her hands and fingernails, and threw her out into the parking lot without her cell phone, The Commonwealth’s Attorney said.

The victim was able to preserve seminal fluid left behind by Matsoake. She knocked on doors until she found someone to call police. Responding officers were able to preserve the seminal fluid saved by the victim. Further, she underwent a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) exam where evidence was collected and preserved.

In the case for which Matsoake received a 40-year sentence, the Commonwealth’s evidence proved that on June 11, 2004, Lesiba Simon Matsoake forced a 22-year-old woman, unknown to him, to perform oral sodomy on him.

The victim, an aspiring comedian, was at the oceanfront celebrating her first gig. After having a few drinks, she went to 63rd Street and decided to skinny dip in the ocean. It was in the middle of the night, so the victim believed the area was deserted and no one else was outside.

Suddenly she saw a naked man, later identified as Lesiba Matsoake, walking toward her. He forced her to the ground and waves crashed over her head as she struggled against him.

Fearing for her life, the victim begged Matsoake to move up the beach out of the water. Matsoake sexually assaulted the victim then fled.

The victim immediately got in her car and drove toward the police station. On the way, she spotted an officer on the side of the road and flagged him down. She explained that she had been sexually assaulted. The victim was able to preserve seminal fluid left behind by her attacker, and forensics technicians collected it.

The seminal fluid collected and preserved in both sexual assaults was submitted to the Department of Forensic Science (DFS) for examination and to see if a suspect could be identified.

Ultimately a DNA match was made to Lesiba Simon Matsoake.

In 2007, Matsoake’s wife told police that Matsoake had confessed to some sexual assaults in North Carolina.

When police came to question Matsoake, they learned he had fled to his native country of South Africa. Authorities worked diligently to extradite Matsoake back to the United States.

He arrived back in the United States in 2012 and remained in custody in North Carolina pending a trial there.

Matsoake is also serving a 20 to 25 year prison sentence for Rape in North Carolina, for which the date of offense was June 10, 2003.