RICHMOND, Va. -- The man charged with multiple sex crimes around VCU has been arrested before. Justin A. Harvey, 26, of Colonial Heights, was recently charged with sexual battery, statutory burglary, rape, aggravated sexual battery, malicious wounding, simple assault, and unlawful videoing following his September 2018 arrest in Richmond.
Harvey was arrested September 27 after police said he lifted up the skirts of two women along South Harrison Street on the VCU campus. The students said they saw a flash, which they believed to be a camera flash.
Since that arrest, police tied Harvey to other sex crimes near campus.
"In March 2018, a female reported a male briefly attacked her in the 1800 block of Grove Avenue before she was able to safely enter her apartment. Harvey has been charged with sexual battery in this incident," a Richmond Police spokesperson said. "In May 2018, a male broke into an apartment in the 1000 block of Park Avenue and sexually assaulted a female. The following evening, a male broke into an apartment in the 2000 block of Grove Avenue and assaulted a female. Harvey has been charged with statutory burglary x2, rape, aggravated sexual battery, malicious wounding, simple assault and two counts of unlawful videoing for those incidents."
Justin Harvey in 2014
Harvey's most recent arrest is not his first.
He pleaded no contest in 2014 to filming women in Chesterfield dressing rooms.
One of the incidents took place on Valentine's Day 2014 inside the Kohl's on Midlothian Turnpike.
"The victim was trying on clothes when she saw a hand holding a cell phone under the dressing room door," a Chesterfield Police spokesperson said following his 2014 arrest. "The victim yelled at the suspect and chased him through the store and to the parking lot."
He also committed another similar crime in November 2013 at the Kohl's on W. Hundred Road.
Harvey was convicted of two counts of unlawful filming and sentenced to 24 months in jail, with 12 months suspended. He was also fined and ordered to undergo a mental evaluation.
During his 2014 sentencing hearing, Harvey told the judge he was a victim of sexual abuse, which he said was partially to blame for his actions. He also said he was seeking treatment.
Harvey also has sex-related charges dating back to 2012, according to online court records.
This is a developing story. Witnesses can send news tips, photos, and video here.
Detectives with the Richmond Police Department Major Crimes unit ask anyone who has information about these incidents to contact Major Crimes Detective B. Neifeld at (804) 646-3246 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.
