Police believe they may have a serial sex assault suspect in custody after DNA linked him to five alleged sexual assault cases dating back seven years.

Police say in January of this year, the Leduc RCMP identified and charged 37-year-old Oliver James Doherty with one count of sexual assault.

Then last week, Edmonton police tactical team members took Doherty into custody after he was found on a property south of Leduc.

RCMP in Leduc say a woman came forward earlier in the year with a complaint. And DNA evidence provided by her led to the alleged link between Doherty and four other unsolved cases.

"The victim being brave enough to come forward right away to the police...it was the day after the actual assault [and] being able to provide valuable information to police with regards to description, it was very valuable to us in being able to identify a suspect," said Const. Jodi Heidinger with Leduc RCMP.

A neighbour of Doherty's says he has met him before, but didn't really want to make friends with him.

"He said he was gonna come over sometime and have a drink and I thought, 'I don't want him over at my place, I don't want him in my house,'" said Marc Pepin.

Pepin says Doherty only moved in last fall. And with Doherty accused of a sex assault in January, along with a DNA match from that case to four other unsolved historic sex assaults, his neighbour now understands why police had a helicopter and an armoured vehicle to catch their suspect.

Police in Edmonton are now investigating two cases in the city from 2004, another in Vegreville, and a fourth in B.C.

He remains in police custody.

He is expected to appear in court on May 27th.

With files from David Ewasuk