By James Keller
A series of alleged sexual assaults at the University of Calgary campus may come to a end thanks to an arrest made by a Campus Security officer.
The arrest was made Tue., Nov. 5, after two alleged sexual assaults were reported by female students in the science complex. At approximately 5:30 p.m., Campus Security received a call from a woman claiming she was assaulted in the Science Theatres building. Minutes after Campus Security officer Wilson Yee arrived, another woman approached him, and said she was also assaulted in the Biological Sciences building. Yee then broadcasted a description of the individual to other officers on duty and proceeded to escort the women to the Campus Security office. On route to the office, Yee spotted someone matching the description.
“While walking through the MacEwan Student Centre food court, Yee was able to pick out of the crowd someone who fit the description,” said Campus Security Manager Lanny Fritz, noting that the two victims confirmed the description at that point. “Not having much time or resources, Yee approached this individual and got him to go to the Campus Security office to clarify this description.”
Fritz said that the individual did not believe he was a suspect when he was confronted. Once at the Campus Security office, the suspect admitted to being in the Biological Sciences building at the time of the assault. He then claimed to have seen the assailant walk by.
After the two women identified him, the alleged perpetrator was turned over to Calgary Police Services and charged with sexual assault. Three days later, the investigation expanded.
“Police connected the dots between him and several other sexual assaults in Varsity Acres,” said Fritz. “These included his approach to two very young victims that were ten and 12 years of age.”
The incidents occurred in Varsity Acres, a community near campus, also on Nov. 5 between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. The offender allegedly followed a 12-year-old girl to her home and then fled. An hour later, he followed a ten-year-old girl, grabbed her and lifted her off the ground, releasing her once spotted by a passerby.
According to police, Adam Lawrence Royer, a 20-year-old non-student, is currently charged with criminal harassment, kidnapping and three counts of sexual assault.
Fritz emphasized that campus programs exist to deter this type of activity.
“We have 51 help phones and 43 closed-circuit television cameras on campus, and we have SafeWalk,” said Fritz. “These programs have all been developed to maintain a safe community.
“In this case, we had witnesses that stood by the victims and came to our office to provide us with their help. This is another example of students looking after other students.”