Man at centre of W5 investigation accused of historical sexual assault of his then six-year-old cousin
This article is part of an ongoing W5 investigation that has infiltrated a global online network of men who are secretly drugging, raping, filming and sharing the videos of their unsuspecting wives and intimate partners.
Bryan Hayward, the 36-year-old Hamilton, Ont. man accused of drugging, raping, filming and sharing content of his ex-girlfriend is also accused of sexually assaulting his then six-year-old cousin, 19 years ago.
Hayward was arrested on May 16 for allegedly sexually abusing his ex-girlfriend. Hamilton police apprehended Hayward after a W5 investigation revealed Hayward was posting videos of women who appear to be unconscious while Hayward potentially abused them.
Bryan Hayward
Hamilton police arrested Bryan Hayward on May 16. (Undated photo)
After his arrest, numerous women have come forward to Hamilton police over concerns they may have been assaulted by Hayward. Hamilton police will not confirm the number of women who have come forward, writing in a statement to W5 that '...to protect the integrity of the investigation we will not be releasing the number.'
This latest accusation that Hayward assaulted his cousin stems from an alleged incident that occurred almost 20 years ago.
For tips on this or any other story please email: avery.haines@bellmedia.ca
In an exclusive interview with W5's Avery Haines, Hayward's younger cousin who is now 25 and, who we are calling Taylor in order to protect her identity, detailed the alleged abuse she says she suffered when Hayward first allegedly assaulted her.
'You never prepare yourself in your own home. It was my birthday. And we would play hide and go seek. …Bryan would always say, 'hey, Taylor, come over here, come with me. Let's go hide underneath these covers.' And I would follow him and we would go hide underneath the covers and, um, and he would just start touching me…'
Following Hayward's arrest last month, Taylor contacted W5 in relation to her claims that Hayward assaulted her when she was a child.
Taylor first came forward that Hayward allegedly abused her when she was nine, three years after the alleged abuse first occurred.
Taylor says she first kept the alleged abuse to herself, fearing that no one would believe her. But then told her mother as they were planning her ninth birthday.
Taylor, Bryan Hayward's cousin, in silhouette
Bryan Hayward's cousin, Taylor, says he sexually assaulted her when she was 6-years-old and he was 17. (CTV W5)
'I just remember driving to Kumon with my mom and she's talking about my birthday party and how her cousins are gonna come and we're all gonna have fun and socialize, and I'll never forget. I told her, I said, 'you can't, like, please don't be mad, but I don't want Bryan there. This is what has been happening to me.' And next thing you know, I'm in court trying to tell my story.'
Hayward would be charged for allegedly abusing Taylor. The case advanced to trial but was eventually dismissed. Taylor had to testify during the trial but upon the court not allowing her mom or dad to be present during the examination, Taylor says Hayward's defence attorney broke her down.
'I brought my two favorite stuffed animals there with me…my parents weren't allowed in the court. So it was just myself and my stuffed animals,' Taylor said. 'Nothing came out of it because I couldn't, because I broke down on the stand. I couldn't get my full story out there and it really bothered me.'
Bryan Hayward in 2006
Bryan Hayward, now 36, is charged with drugging and raping an ex-girlfriend. His cousin accuses him of sexually assaulting her 19 years ago when she was 6 and he was 17. (Supplied photo)
Taylor's father, who we are calling Mark, lauds his daughter for having the strength to come forward at such a young age, but says the justice system failed his family.
'We're standing outside the room and I heard her break down and it was horrible. It was like someone stuck a knife in my gut,' he said.
Mark wants to see Hayward locked up indefinitely. 'That monster needs to stay behind bars for the rest of his life, because he's going to continue to do this,' he said.
Taylor's father, Mark, in silhouette
Taylor's dad, Mark says Bryan Hayward should be behind bars for life. (CTV W5)
Hayward is currently behind bars in Hamilton Wentworth Detention Centre, awaiting a bail hearing scheduled for June 13.
In response to inquiries about numerous past allegations and cases surrounding Hayward, Hamilton police have stated to W5 that '...we will be reviewing all cases involving Brian Hayward and continue to work with victims to support them when, and if, they are ready to report.'
Taylor says she'll now be looking for Hamilton police to reopen the historical case of alleged sexual assault against her.
'I want to get justice and I'm going to be reaching out to them to reopen my case and this time I'm not going to break down,' she said, 'because it makes me so angry seeing or knowing that he walked away, hurt so many others along the way.'
More in this series:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Globe and Mail
7 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Sorry, speed cameras aren't the problem
A spectre is haunting Canadian roads: the real prospect of actually having to pay a fine for not respecting the speed limit. As speed cameras proliferate, particularly in Ontario, some drivers are showing their displeasure. Many of the cameras have been vandalized and one in Toronto cut down six times. It's time for a deep breath. Speed cameras shouldn't disappear, they should multiply. The cameras are effective and, because their penalty is so easily avoided, they are fair. In fact, a recent poll for CAA showed majority support among Ontarians for the cameras. Politicians who pander to the minority of drivers who hate them are gambling with public safety. Those politicians span the ideological spectrum, from Ontario's Progressive Conservative Premier Doug Ford to former Ontario Liberal leader Steven Del Duca, now mayor of suburban Vaughan, and left-leaning Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. So busy trying to placate drivers, these politicians ignore that speed cameras work. The hit in the wallet is sufficiently unpleasant that it convinces people to slow down. For evidence, consider that the number of tickets issued by any given camera typically goes down over time. That effect has been further demonstrated by research from a hospital and university in Toronto. According to their findings, referenced in a recent city staff report, the proportion of vehicles speeding went down 45 per cent after cameras were installed near schools and in high-collision areas. The cameras actually generate relatively little revenue, after administrative costs are deducted. Their effect on behaviour is more important than the money. Fines lead to slower driving, and less speeding equals fewer injured or dead people. That's because speed is dangerous. The brain has limits on how fast it can process information taken in from peripheral vision. So a driver going more quickly experiences a literal narrowing of their vision, making it harder to spot possible risks in time. And the distance needed to brake goes up dramatically with speed, doubling between 30 and 50 kilometres an hour. Both of those factors make a collision more likely. And if one does occur, speed will make it worse. A person hit by a vehicle travelling at 30 kilometres an hour has a 90-per-cent chance of surviving. Increase the speed to 40 kilometres an hour, though, and the survival rate drops to 60 per cent. A person hit at 50 kilometres an hour has only a 20-per-cent chance of living. Mr. Ford may commiserate with drivers 'getting dinged' for going '10 kilometres over,' but small increases in speed matter. So keep the cameras, even though there are aspects of the policy over which reasonable people can disagree. Cities tend to be cagey about how much over the limit a driver has to be going to be issued a ticket. There will be absolutists on either side – claiming that any violation is worth ticketing, or that everyone speeds and thus a big buffer is warranted – but the best solution is location-specific. Speed increases make a much bigger difference on a quiet residential street than on a highway. Another contentious point is the extent to which drivers should be warned about speed cameras. Ms. Chow called earlier this year for bigger and more visible warning signs, in order to be 'fairer' to drivers. On the face, this is a farcical idea. The speed limit sign is surely warning enough. Why add a sign that effectively says, 'We really mean it'? Still, if signs flagging the presence of speed cameras are the price that must be paid for their political acceptability, so be it. Because, in the end, it may not make any difference to the effectiveness of the cameras. Cities are typically littered with so many signs that they become background clutter for drivers. These will similarly fade from notice. People who rail against speed cameras because thousands or tens of thousands of tickets have been issued – framing this as unjust or evidence of government overreach – miss the point. The volume of infractions speaks to how common speeding has become. Police rarely take traffic laws seriously, so the chances of being caught by them are slim. Cameras are reviled because they change the risk calculus. Unhappy drivers should remember that choosing to exceed the speed limit is, in fact, illegal, and that there's an easy hack to avoid getting a ticket: lighten up on that right foot.
CTV News
37 minutes ago
- CTV News
Are you overdoing it on electrolytes? Quebec poison control says calls are on the rise
Electrolyte drinks may quench your thirst on a hot day or after a gruelling workout, but Quebec's poison control centre is warning they're not without risks. Centre antipoison du Québec is reporting a sharp increase in exposure cases related to electrolyte supplements. The number of reported cases has increased by 30 per cent in the province over the past four years. According to data from the centre, cases involving electrolyte and mineral supplements increased to 763 as of 2024, up from 584 in 2020. Children under the age of five make up a significant portion of calls received by the centre, rising to 121 cases last year from 89 in 2020. Dr. Josh Wang, a toxicologist at the poison control centre and incoming president of the Canadian Association for Clinical Toxicology and Poison Centres, said the reason for the uptick is still unclear. 'It's hard to speculate. The numbers certainly show an increase in reporting to the poison centres,' said Wang, who also works as an emergency room physician at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). 'It's not clear to me from the data that we have what the reason is, however.' Generally safe, but don't overdo it While many products, including well-known brands like Gatorade and Pedialyte, are generally safe, Wang said problems can occur when people overdo it or take them without proper guidance. 'As an emergency physician, I frequently advise patients who are dehydrated to take these,' he said. 'But when [people] take it upon themselves to take supplementation, it's important to know what their medical problems are, and perhaps [seek] counsel from a pharmacist or doctor if there's any doubt in terms of the safety, for overdose or interactions.' He mentioned that one popular hydration drink, Prime, contains 700 milligrams of potassium, 'the same as two bananas.' That could pose a risk for people with kidney issues. 'If [people] have kidney problems, difficulty eliminating, extra potassium in their diet or from beverages could be potentially a risk,' he said. So, if you feel parched, should you choose an electrolyte drink or stick to the old standby — water? Wang assured that most products are safe when used as directed, but said to keep it simple. 'Generally, if you're thirsty, you should drink water. I think that's a good rule of thumb,' he said. If you opt for electrolyte drinks, he noted that 'it's easy to go over, make arithmetic errors, and too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.' Symptoms depend on the mineral Symptoms of overdoing it vary depending on the mineral. 'Some of them can cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting. In more extreme cases, they can cause decreased mental status,' Wang said, pointing to magnesium. 'Calcium... can be associated with constipation.' Potassium, he said, is 'my most respected electrolyte in terms of overdose risk, danger for cardiac disturbances and dangerous cardiac rhythms that could lead the patient to present to the emergency department.' Advice for parents He also urged parents to keep all supplements safely stored away. 'Keeping supplements and medications out of lock and key, away from the reach and away from the curious eyes and fingers of little ones,' he said. 'I continue to encourage it to all my patients and all the people that ask me about it.' Wang said the Quebec poison centre is a great resource, and when in doubt, people can call the team at 1-800-463-5060. 'Specifically, in regard to overdose, we provide very efficient, very rapid advice,' he said.
National Post
37 minutes ago
- National Post
Why Canada's civil service needs more 'plumbers' and fewer 'poets'
Donald J. Savoie has spent decades studying the inner workings of Canada's federal bureaucracy. He's watched Ottawa grow more centralized and more crowded with what he calls 'poets,' policy thinkers and advisers, while the 'plumbers,' the front-line workers delivering services to Canadians, have not been prioritized. In an interview with National Post about the concept, as discussed in his recent book Speaking Truth to Canadians About Their Public Service, Savoie explains why that imbalance matters. Savoie is Canada Research Chair in Public Administration and Governance at Université de Moncton. Article content Article content Please briefly define what you mean by 'plumbers and poets' when it comes to the civil service. Article content Article content Article content Thank you for the question, that's a good one. A lot of times I've been interviewed about the book, and not many have caught on to the poets and the plumbers, and I think it's key. Article content Poets are people mostly in Ottawa, that are part of the government who work on policy issues, who work on liaison, on coordination or dealing with media or dealing with ministers so they define policy. Article content Plumbers are the ones delivering services to Canadians. Plumbers are the ones you applied to for a passport, plumbers are the ones you applied to for old age pension or whatever program that you want to access; they're the ones that deliver programs and services to Canadians. So the differences between poets to plumbers is fairly pronounced. Article content It's grown by leaps and bounds over the past 10 years. In 2014 it was 340,000, in 2025 we're up to 445,000, so you can see the difference there. It's over 100,000 more. Article content Article content How has that growth affected the ratio of plumbers to poets, and what's the correct ratio? Article content Article content The growth has clearly favoured the poets. And the reason I say that is just the sheer numbers of public servants in Ottawa — the number has grown. And it has not grown anywhere near the same amount in local and regional offices. Article content What's the right number? What's the right percentage? Frankly, it's difficult to answer that. I would remind you that 40 years ago about 25 per cent of federal public servants were in Ottawa, and 75 per cent out in the regions, and that sounded like a proper number. So my view is that we should strive towards that. Article content I can tell you that in France, England, and the United States, the number of public servants in the national capital, whether in London, or Washington, or Paris, is nowhere near the percentage we have in Canada. Article content In the U.K. for example, I'm taking a stab here, but like 75 per cent of public servants are outside of London, and the government over the past several years has made a deliberate attempt to move more and more public servants outside of London.
