Hamilton, Ont. man facing more charges following W5 investigation into alleged sexual assault ring
A Hamilton, Ont. man at the centre of a widescale W5 investigation into an alleged sexual assault ring is now facing dozens of additional charges.
Bryan Hayward appeared at a Hamilton courtroom Friday where he was charged with 12 counts of aggravated assault, 13 counts of administer noxious substance, 12 counts of administer overpowering/stupefying drug to overcome resistance, five counts of voyeurism, five counts of distribute intimate images without consent, and one count of assault.
The new charges come amid a W5 investigation into a network of thousands of men who allegedly secretly drug their wives and intimate partners and then post the videos online.
Hayward's profile was discovered on the platform, where he allegedly uploaded what may be the drugging and raping of least five or six different women.
'Investigators believe Hayward may have connected with victims through online dating and social media platforms,' Hamilton police said in a news release issued Friday after the court appearance. 'Police suspect there may be more victims, including individuals unaware they were affected.'
Arrested on May 16 after W5 alerted Hamilton police of his potential crimes, the 36-year-old contractor was previously charged with sexual assault, administer noxious substance, voyeurism, distribution of intimate images, assault with a weapon, and several other offences.
Hayward's ex-wife, who CTV News agreed to identify only as Rachel to protect her identity, previously told W5 that he drugged their then 11-year-old daughter back in 2023. Medical records obtained by W5 showed that a toxicology report from the hospital at the time came back positive for the sedative benzodiazepine.
Ten years earlier, when the couple was living together in Calgary, Rachel said Hayward drugged and assaulted her.
None of the charges have been proven in court.
This is a breaking news story. More details to come.
With files from W5's Avery Haines and Joseph Loiero
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
6 minutes ago
- CBC
NHL, players' union differ on eligibility of acquitted former junior players
The NHL released a statement on Thursday saying the behaviour of the former junior hockey players acquitted of sexual assault this week was unacceptable even if it was not found to be criminal. For the moment, they're ineligible to play in the league, but the players' union believes they should be able to resume work.
CBC
8 minutes ago
- CBC
Suspect vehicle in fatal Lincoln, Ont., hit-and-run found burning in Mississauga: police
The suspect vehicle in a fatal hit-and-run that killed an 82-year-old man in Lincoln, Ont., last week was found burning in Mississauga, police said Friday. Police are now searching for a 50-year-old man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for second-degree murder, police said. On July 17 around 9:45 a.m., Larry Pearce, 82, was struck by a man attempting to steal his vehicle and exit the parking lot of Charles Daly Park in the Town of Lincoln, just west of St. Catherines, Niagara Regional Police Service said in a release last week. Pearce had been driving out of the parking lot when he was stopped by the man, police said. The two had an interaction and Pearce got out of his vehicle, a grey Honda CRV, before the man jumped in and attempted to drive off, police said. Pearce tried to stop the man but he was struck by the vehicle and fell to the ground, police said. He was rushed to hospital where he later died. Niagara police later identified the suspect as a 50-year-old man of no fixed address. As recently as Tuesday, police said they believed the suspect was still operating the victim's vehicle after he was spotted with his dog, a pit bull-style breed with white fur and black and brown markings, in Mississauga. On Thursday, Peel Regional Police said in a release that officers discovered the victim's stolen vehicle on fire in the area of 1875 North Sheridan Way in Mississauga. Investigators determined the vehicle had been driven into the green space off Springbank Road at approximately 8:20 p.m. Thursday, before it was intentionally set on fire, police said. "A lone individual was seen walking away from the area shortly thereafter," Peel police said in the release. Police have not yet located the suspect. Police are appealing to people in the area of North Sheridan Way, Springbank Road, and Sevenoaks Drive in Mississauga, who may have seen or heard anything suspicious between 8:10 p.m. and 8:40 p.m. on July 24, to contact investigators. Anyone in the area who may have relevant surveillance or dashcam video is also asked to come forward. Investigators do not believe the suspect is still with his dog, police said.
CBC
8 minutes ago
- CBC
Winnipeggers call for crackdown on scrap dealers buying stolen metals
Social Sharing Some Winnipeggers are calling on the authorities to do a better job at enforcing laws meant to make it hard for thieves to sell bike parts and other scrap metal for money. The Scrap Metal Act requires buyers to keep records on transactions involving used items made out of copper, iron, steel and other metals. It came into effect in 2022 with a goal of cracking down on this type of theft, particularly when involving catalytic converters. But some advocates said Friday the theft of copper and other materials as well as bikes is still rampant. They say police should be ramping up enforcement to prevent people's property from winding up in a junk yard. "The theft of wire, theft of copper plumbing as well, from vacant houses is a serious, serious issue. It's a symbol of the deterioration of our city," said activist Sel Burrows. "We need to throw the book at that." Burrows, co-ordinator of the Point Powerline community tip line in North Point Douglas, said some scrap yards are part of the problem. "Everybody focuses on the front-line criminal, but we also need to look at who's buying stolen goods," he said. Winnipeg police urged to crack down on scrap-metal-related thefts 4 hours ago Bike and copper theft continues to be a problem throughout the city, despite provincial legislation that was designed to make it harder to sell the stolen goods, and there's a growing call for better enforcement. "These are businesses quite often, and they need to be held accountable. If there's no market for things like burnt wire, they won't steal and burn the wire." The Scrap Metal Act requires buyers to record every transaction involving scrap metal and keep the records for two years. They also must provide that information to police if asked. Winnipeg police said in a statement there are ongoing efforts to clamp down on metal theft, including "the involvement of vendors in the conversion process for financial gain." Metal theft 'a serious problem,' minister says Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the province is working with law enforcement to tackle the issue. "This is a serious problem," he said, adding that this type of theft puts peoples' lives at risk. "If you're stealing copper wire, it's dangerous," Wiebe said. "We know it's resulted in serious injuries and obviously impacts the community." Mark Cohoe, executive director of Bike Winnipeg, said better enforcing the laws would discourage thieves from stealing bikes for their parts. "We know that that bikes are being stolen, sort of turned into scrap and sold for that," he said. "If that's your mode of transportation … having your bike stolen also really discourages people from riding." Cohoe said people should remember to register their bikes, so they have a chance to get them back if they're stolen.
