Hamilton man charged with sexual assault
A 36-year-old Hamilton man has been charged with multiple offences, including sexual assault, administering a noxious substance, voyeurism and distributing intimate images.
Hamilton police said Bryan Hayward was arrested Friday following an investigation by the sex crimes unit that began when an alleged victim — and later a member of the media — came forward.
In a news release Tuesday, police said Hayward may have contacted alleged victims through online dating sites. Investigators believe there may be additional people who do not yet realize they were victimized.
According to CTV
, the 36-year-old is featured in an upcoming W5 documentary that explores allegations of an online network of men who drugged and raped women, then shared videos of the assaults. The documentary, 'Sleeping with the Enemy,' is scheduled to air May 31.
'This is a very sensitive case,' police spokesperson Jackie Penman said in an email to The Spectator, adding that there are not a lot of details that can be shared at this time.
The charges are in connection to one complainant.
'Based on the evidence, police know there are additional victims,' she said. 'We encourage anyone who may have dated Hayward or had an interaction with him to come forward to police.'
Hayward is charged with sexual assault, administering a noxious substance, voyeurism, distribution of intimate images, assault with a weapon, operating a motor vehicle while prohibited, two counts of failing to comply with probation, as well as possession of methamphetamine, GHB, hydromorphone and clonazepam.
He is described as a 36-year-old man, five-foot-10, approximately 180 pounds, with a medium build, brown hair and an amputation to his left hand.
Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Curtis Patton of the sex crimes unit at
905-540-5545
or the non-emergency line at
905-540-5553
.
To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or
crimestoppershamilton.com
.
For confidential support, call the Sexual Assault Centre's 24-hour support line at 905-525-4162 or connect at
www.sacha.ca
, or the Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Care Centre at
www.hhsc.ca/sadv
or the Centre de Santé Communautaire
www.cschn.ca
.
Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator.
noreilly@thespec.com
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
a day ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Unprecedented landfill search for Shalini Singh could cost Hamilton police $1M
An extensive search of a Hamilton landfill for the remains of a missing 40-year-old woman is expected to cost police between $800,000 and $1 million — a figure officials say underscores the importance of having budget reserves to manage unexpected and extraordinary investigations. The financial estimate provided to The Spectator covers staffing, security, waste management, project planning, equipment and supplies used in the months-long search for Shalini Singh, said Hamilton police spokesperson Jackie Penman. Hamilton police believe Shalini Singh was killed in her downtown apartment in December. Singh is believed to have been killed in her downtown apartment and disposed of through a garbage chute late last year. Hundreds of hours of surveillance footage and dump trucks tracked via GPS led police to the Glanbrook landfill, where a team of officers and cadets — clad in white jumpsuits, reflective vests and head gear — began carefully sweeping a concentrated target area on Feb. 24. The Glanbrook landfill seen from Woodburn Road. Hamilton police were searching the landfill Tuesday for missing woman Shalini Singh. On May 21, after nearly three months of sifting through trash , police discovered partial remains that have since been sent for DNA testing to confirm they belong to Singh. Results could take weeks. Supt. Marty Schulenberg, speaking at a news conference last week, called the breakthrough a testament to the 'tireless dedication' of officers involved. He said the complex search required extraordinary planning and community partnerships. Indeed, Hamilton police have never looked in a landfill of this size of a missing person. Officers were tasked with combing through an 80-by-100-metre section of the city's last operating landfill, a fraction of its massive 68-hectare waste footprint, but still roughly the size of professional soccer pitch. In their way were mounds and mounds of garbage — the stinky site accepted more than 155,000 tonnes of waste in 2024, enough to fill about 62 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Following the discovery of partial remains, Det. Sgt. Daryl Reid said police had searched an area filled with some 5,000 cubic metres of trash. While the search was initially expected to end April 18, police repeatedly pushed that deadline back. Reid noted work was dangerous and efforts were at times hindered by inclement weather. 'There's been a tremendous effort by our police officers to get out there on a daily basis, despite those hazards and the environment, to try and get answers for (Singh's) family,' Reid told reporters May 29. Despite the discovery of partial remains, the search remains ongoing. In response to questions about the cost of the investigation, Penman cited things like machinery used to clear trash and private security to keep the scene contained overnight. She also noted there have been costs indirectly tied to the search. For example, some officers have been pulled off patrol and assigned to the landfill, leaving police to hire backfill officers to cover regular shifts, Penman said. The expensive investigation comes as police estimate a $2-million deficit for its 2024 budget. At a board meeting last week, police attributed the deficit — a fraction of last year's roughly $206-million approved budget — to factors such as an increased number of members off on long-term leave and more officers deployed to special events or projects, leading to heightened WSIB and overtime payments. Police will offset those losses through its reserve balances. While the search for Singh doesn't contribute to the deficit because it happened in 2025, deputy chief Ryan Diodati — in response to questions from a board member — cited the investigation as an example of why healthy reserve funds are important. 'Those are things we can't forecast in the budget,' he said of the search, which began a few months after the board approved a $227-million police budget for 2025. 'The impact of an investigation to that level is significant. Our reserves are in good shape, and one of the reasons why we have those reserves is to deal with deficits like this.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Salem career criminal sentenced for selling drug-infused ‘Cocoa Puffs,' ‘Cinnamon Toast Crunch' bars
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A Salem man was sentenced to prison on Wednesday after leading an illegal operation that manufactured and sold drug-infused cereal and candy, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon announced. Authorities said 45-year-old Jered Hayward was sentenced to 13 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 1,000 kilograms of marijuana and conspiracy to launder the proceeds. Hayward additionally agreed to forfeit assets worth more than $2 million, officials said. According to court documents, Hayward led a large-scale THC and psilocybin production facility headquartered in Salem. Class action lawsuit accuses Grocery Outlet of deceptive pricing in Oregon stores As part of the operation, Hayward and his employees infused or sprayed cereal and candy with potent THC oils. The edibles were then placed in packages that looked similar to legitimate food products — marketing them as Cinnamon Toast Crunch Krispie Bars, Froot Loops Krispie Bars and Cocoa Puffs Krispie Bars among other popular cereal brands — and sold them in the United States and internationally. Authorities said while there is no evidence that Hayward marketed the products toward minors, officials said the way the edibles were packaged posed a risk to children who are often unable to comprehend fine print warnings on THC products. Drug trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prison after largest meth bust in Oregon history According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, the organization used encrypted communications such as Telegram to market and sell orders while masking money laundering transactions. Authorities say Hayward had no permits or licenses to produce or sell the products, noting the entire operation was illegal. Hayward has an extensive criminal history, including three prior state and federal convictions for marijuana and fentanyl trafficking, officials said, adding that based on those convictions, he is considered a career criminal under federal law. As part of his guilty plea, Hayward agreed to forfeit his Salem production facility, over $1 million in cash, $640,000 in cryptocurrency and bank account funds, more than $400,000 worth of gold and silver, jewelry, a Rolex watch, 12 vehicles, two UTV's and boats. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hamilton Spectator
7 days ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton police board refuses to debate motion on Charter breach policy
It was more than a year ago when retired Crown attorney Andrew Bell, delegating before Hamilton's police board, panned the service after a court ruling found officers violated Charter rights when they unnecessarily broke down a door during a raid and failed to provide an accused their right to counsel. 'No criminal case should ever be lost or comprised due to a Charter breach by the Hamilton Police Service,' Bell told the board in February 2024, calling the tossed drug case and no-knock raid a 'monstrous failure.' Bell, who has decades of experience in Charter litigation and compliance, proposed the board implement a new policy that ensured Hamilton's police chief would notify the board whenever an officer committed a Charter breach. 'I want this board to take action. Be a pioneer.' On Thursday, that opportunity to act was placed squarely in front of the board, with citizen member Anjali Menezes moving a motion that proposed heightened monitoring and accountability of police-involved Charter violations. They opted against it. Motions at board meetings require a mover and a seconder before it can be discussed and voted on. Menezes, the author of the motion, understandably moved it. But when it came time for a seconder, no other board member raised their hand, leaving the motion to not be discussed — much less voted on. 'I am disappointed and upset, absolutely,' Menesez told The Spectator after the meeting. 'I very much suspected this outcome could be a possibility, but I am hopeful there may be a way to try again … I'm not going to give up.' Aside from Menezes, board members present at Thursday's meeting were chair Don Robertson, vice-chair Esther Pauls and provincial appointee Shaun Padulo. Mayor Andrea Horwath (injured) and Coun. Cameron Kroetsch (suspended) were absent. Menezes told the board her two-page motion was inspired by Bell's delegation last year, which led her 'on a year-long journey to learn about this topic' and how the board can help police safeguard the Charter rights of all Hamilton residents. The Spectator has reported on several court rulings in recent years which found Hamilton officers violated people's Charter rights while making arrests. That includes a scathing decision last March, when a man was acquitted on all charges after a judge found two officers racially profiled him during a traffic stop and illegally searched his car. Among the proposals in the motion were that: Its purpose wasn't to make the service look bad, Menezes stressed to board members. Instead, she described it as another part of the board's responsibilities to ensure adequate and effective policing in Hamilton. 'Just like how we get annual reports from the professional standards branch,' she said, adding Charter breaches aren't something that should be reported to the board as a courtesy, but rather a requirement. Earlier in Thursday's meeting, four people delegated before the board about the motion. All implored members to pass it. 'There has been no motion put before the board which is more important than the one before the board today,' Bell, who started working for the local Crown in 1979, said during an impassioned delegation. 'Charter compliance is an essential and indispensable part of providing adequate and effective policing. Passing this motion will show this board is serious about requiring the Hamilton Police Service to safeguard the Charter rights of everyone in this city.' Bell said the onus is on the board to impress upon the service the importance of reducing its number of Charter breaches to zero. He added Charter violations should be reflected in the chief's annual performance review. 'If the chief doesn't treat Charter compliance seriously — unless HPS members, from deputy chiefs to cadets, know that Charter breaches on his watch are not trivial slips but career-limiting failures — the essential cultural change that HPS must make will not occur.' In March, after a court found two local officers violated a person's Charter rights during a 2022 traffic stop, police said they had implemented enhanced training on Charter rights and unconscious bias. 'We are committed to a comprehensive approach that includes reviewing policies, practices and decision-making processes to ensure they uphold human rights. We recognize the impact of these decisions on our community and remain committed to ensuring fair and impartial policing in Hamilton.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
