Sexual assault case shakes Hamilton community, neighbours speak out

Bryan Hayward, a 36-year-old man from Hamilton, is facing disturbing allegations of sexual assault against unsuspecting victims.

Court documents show that he lived at the Film Work Lofts on King William Street before his arrest, and some of his former neighbours are speaking out.

A tenant and the superintendent of the building told CHCH they have seen Hayward bringing women in and out of the building when he lived there, and each described one disturbing alleged incident.

“He was just kind of a shady guy. He was always in and out with different people. Always females,” says Gary Carter, superintendent of Film Work Lofts.

Carter remembers when Bryan Hayward lived in the building. He says Hayward moved at the end of March, and on May 16, Hayward was arrested.

Hayward faces charges in relation to one alleged victim, including sexual assault, voyeurism, distribution of intimate images and possession of several controlled substances including GHB — which is known as the date-rape drug.

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

Carter and a current tenant in the building both identified Hayward as having an amputation on his left hand, the same description police gave when he was arrested.

Both recalled an alleged incident involving Hayward and one of the women he brought home.

“One time there was a woman out front that was in distress big time, and we didn’t know what to think of that,” says Carter.

“Something had happened to them in the lobby, they had to call the cops on her,” says Shaun Feere, a tenant in the building.

“She was swearing saying he was physically attacking her. She may have said that he sexually assaulted her,” says Carter.

CHCH asked Hamilton police about the incident, which the tenant and the superintendent say was reported to them, but police said they will not be commenting further.

Feere says he was shocked to hear the charges Hayward is facing, but a part of him isn’t surprised.

“[I] saw some of the people he would bring in. I felt terrible for them because I don’t think anyone knew what they were getting into, so I’m really happy to see he is being held accountable for it,” he says.

“It kind of brings things together from what we’ve seen, what I have seen myself and a few other people in the building who have notice him going in and out with other females on a regular basis,” says Carter.

Hayward does have a criminal past. According to court documents he has violated probation for past arrests on multiple occasions, and he faced charges of harassment last year. At the time of his arrest for sexual assault he was still on probation.

Police told CHCH more victims have come forward since the arrest. They say some may not even know they have been assaulted

CHCH previously reported that CTV’s investigative unit W5 says Hayward was arrested after they notified police about what they found in an investigation into an alleged online network of men who appear to be drugging women and secretly recording sexual assaults.

READ MORE: More reports to police drive investigation of Hamilton man charged with sexual assault

Police have not commented specifically on the report.

One tenant who says she was never aware of Hayward says she hopes the women find justice.

“You know you hear of these crimes and often they are people that are carrying on a very normal life, they’re going about their business doing what they’re supposed to do, but then there’s always a shady side.”

CHCH has spoken with the lawyer who is representing Hayward and is awaiting comment from him.