Accused faces court over vulgar historical Melbourne rape claims

Eight years after alleged horrifying rapes at Elwood in Melbourne's south-east, police have arrested their blue-eyed, blonde-haired suspect.

Justin Mathieson is allegedly a match of the photo-fit distributed in 2012, as described by two female victims.

A 47-year-old was first ambushed on February 24 while walking the Canal between Beach Road and Addison Street.

Eight months later, on October 20, a 32-year-old woman was dragged off the Bay Trail and raped in the bushes nearby.

Mathieson, who was 23-years-old at the time, has been charged with 25 offences including; four counts of rape, making three threats to kill, kidnapping and false imprisonment.

He's also been accused of wilfully exposing his genitals on 11 occasions between February and October 2012.

Now 31, Mathieson, a schizophrenic who lives in an Albanvale community care unit, did not apply for bail.

He barely spoke as he sat in the dock wearing a baggy olive t-shirt, except to tell his appointed lawyer of an acquired brain injury he suffered from drug use.  

Mathieson is expected to face a Magistrate again in September.

Police are investigating whether he could be linked to similar crimes in the Bayside and western suburbs.

Detective Lisa Johnson-Boe, who has been investigating the case since 2012, told 9News the breakthrough is testament to "persistent" police work.