The man who allegedly raped a woman in the restroom of a Flatiron District bar last weekend is a serial sex fiend who got out of prison two months ago after doing more than 20 years for other rapes, law-enforcement sources said.
Rodney Stover was nabbed Wednesday when he brazenly walked past the scene of the bar rape and was spotted by the pub owner.
He is accused of surprising a 23-year-old woman Saturday in the basement restroom at the Turnmill pub on East 27th Street, pushing her into a stall at about 7:50 p.m. and raping her.
Stover, 48, is classified as a Level 3 sex offender, the most serious designation assigned in the criminal-justice system.
He had gotten out of a Pennsylvania prison on Feb. 14.
Stover has spent more than two decades behind bars for sex attacks, including one in the Hamptons.
His first prison stint came in January 1990, when he was convicted of raping a woman in Pennsylvania. He was released on parole the following year.
In August 1992, he raped a 42-year-old housewife at knifepoint in Southampton, LI, after following her home from the beach, sources said.
He was convicted in June 1993 and did nearly 19 years for that crime. He was paroled in July 2012 but didn’t stay out long. Pennsylvania officials promptly put him back behind bars on a parole violation stemming from the Hamptons rape.
After his February release, Stover took a bus to New York City and checked into the Bellevue Men’s Shelter on East 30th Street.
He was living there when he showed up at the Turnmill Saturday and allegedly raped the patron.
Stover allegedly grabbed the victim by the neck and snarled, “I’m going to rape you. Be quiet,” the sources said.
He was caught on camera after leaving the bar and was spotted Wednesday when he walked past the Turnmill.
The bar’s owner, Tom Lucas, noticed Stover and chased him down.
“We watched the footage so much that [Tom] recognized his movements and knew it was him without a doubt,” said manager Peggy Doran.
Stover was awaiting arraignment on rape charges Wednesday night.
