More alleged victims come forward after Hamilton man charged with sexual assault

Police say more alleged victims have come forward after they released the identity of a Hamilton man facing allegations of sexual assault against unknowing victims.

The investigative journalism unit at CTV News said they notified Hamilton police about Bryan Hayward, after his name came up in an investigation into an alleged online network of men who appear to be drugging women and secretly recording sexual assaults.

“The level of depravity and evil…this isn’t just about drugging and raping women, it’s about humiliating them, it’s about hurting them…in some cases sexually torturing them,” said Avery Haines, an investigative correspondent with CTV Newsmagazine series W5.

Haines said for months, she had been infiltrating an alleged online network of men around the world, who appear to be drugging and sexually abusing women – the assaults uploaded online.

“Part of that investigation led me to a website where I came across a profile user who had uploaded almost a dozen videos of women who appear to be unconscious and being sexually assaulted,” said Haines. “In one of the videos a syringe was used to inject the woman who already appeared to be unconscious.”

Haines reported what she saw to Hamilton police, then last Friday they arrested 36-year-old Bryan Hayward.

READ MORE: Hamilton man charged in sexual assault of unsuspecting victims

Hayward is facing multiple charges, including: sexual assault, voyeurism, distribution of intimate images, possession of several controlled substances – including GHC (Gamma-hydroxybutyrate), which is known as a the date-rape drug.

Police said they had identified one victim when the charges were laid.

Officers say Hayward may have contacted his victims through online dating sites.

“These men are brazen,” said Haines. “They’re not afraid in some cases to show their faces, or the faces of their wives and girlfriends. Women who do not know that they are, in effect, porn stars within this network.”

Police have not commented on these details and the allegations have not been tested in court.

Investigators say there may be additional victims of Hayward, including those who may not even realize they have been assaulted.

Detectives say more alleged victims have come forward since Tuesday, but they could not specify the exact number.

Now – as this is before the courts – Ari Goldkind, a criminal lawyer, said a sexual assault case involving online evidence can get complex.

“Different than just a ‘he-said, she-said’, which is basically two people getting into a witness box,” said Goldkind. “When you have a treasure trove of electronic information, it really makes the prosecutions and the defence of those charges much more complex and difficult at times.”

“You look at what are called ‘bread crumbs’ or ‘meta-data’, it can get very technical when a phone is extracted. You also want to look at the history or the communications between the alleged perpetrator and their victims, so you often have a very significant amount of evidence being given to you on a thumb drive or a hard drive, and it’s your job to go through it with a fine-toothed comb,” said Goldkind.

Meanwhile, Haines said her investigation into the alleged network of men drugging and sexually assaulting women continues.

She said the men involved communicate with each other about how to keep their crimes a secret from their victims.

“We have cases we are following in Germany, in Switzerland,” said Haines. “It’s safe to say that this is a very, very large international network.”

CTV’s W5 documentary on this topic, titled “Sleeping With the Enemy” will air May 31.

As for Hayward, he was scheduled to appear at a bail hearing Wednesday.

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