MANDEL: Is Hamilton man tied to network of men who drug, rape women on video?
The 36-year-old is accused of being part of a network of sickos who record their rapes of drugged and unconscious women and trade the videos
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A 36-year-old Hamilton man is accused of being part of a horrifying international network of sickos who record their rapes of drugged, unconscious women and trade the videos like playing cards.
Wearing prison-issue orange, contracting company owner Bryan Hayward appeared virtually in a Hamilton court Friday afternoon where he was remanded in custody with no bail hearing yet in sight.
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Hayward was arrested May 16 after being tipped off following an investigation by CTV‘s W5 program into the global network of men who secretly videotape themselves sexually assaulting their wives and partners.
According to W5’s investigative journalist Avery Haines, Hayward had allegedly uploaded about a dozen videos of women who appeared to be unconscious.
Hayward’s charges relate to one woman and include sexual assault, administering a noxious substance, voyeurism, distribution of intimate images and drug possession, including GHB, which is known as the date rape drug.
None of the charges have been proven in court.
“This matter has understandably attracted considerable public and media attention,” his lawyer Vikram Singh told the Toronto Sun in an email. “In order to respect the integrity of the legal process and all parties involved, I will not be commenting on the specific allegations at this time.”
The media attention is likely due to its eerie resemblance to a notorious sex assault case in France that dominated headlines around the world for months last year.
Dominique Pelicot – nicknamed the Monster of Avignon – went on trial for repeatedly drugging his wife Gisele and videotaping her as she was being sexually assaulted over a decade by dozens of men he recruited over chat rooms such as “without her knowledge” on a website glorifying sexual violence that has since been shut down.
Pelicot and 50 accomplices were convicted in December 2024.
In a press release last week, Hamilton Police described Hayward as 5-foot-10, approximately 180 pounds, with a medium build, brown hair and an amputation to his left hand. They warned about the possibility of other alleged victims who may have met him on dating sites and might not be aware of what was done to them.
Since Hayward’s arrest, police said more complainants have come forward.
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At the time of his arrest, Hayward was on probation following a disturbing incident with a woman last summer.
The Hamilton Spectator reports the woman called 911 in July 2024 from her car claiming she had a relationship with Hayward and he was now following her, had blocked her car and pushed it when she braked.
When he was stopped, police alleged they found the woman’s stolen license plates in his car.
Hayward denied pushing her vehicle and, according to the newspaper, pleaded guilty in January to possession of stolen property and driving while prohibited. He was sentenced to one-year probation and a $1,000 fine for the driving offence.
The W5 investigation found the global network included another Canadian who was sentenced last November to 16 years in prison. The Moncton, N.B. man, his identity protected by a publication ban, pleaded guilty to nine charges including raping, drugging and secretly recording two ex-girlfriends.
According to the Telegraph-Journal, the agreed statement of facts offered a terrifying window into this depraved world: A woman went to the RCMP in 2023 after receiving an email with a link to a website that contained videos and images of her being sexually assaulted while she was unconscious.
She was warned that if she didn’t respond, the images would be sent to her friends and family.
She had no memory of the assaults but believed her partner had drugged her.
Police found he’d given her GHB multiple times.
In court, he called himself a “monster” who became addicted to pornography of children being sexually abused but could only get the images if he traded his own videos of him sexually assaulting the drugged women.
Is this a club Hayward belonged to as well?
The Hamilton man is set to appear in court again by video on June 13.
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