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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Man admits to sex assaults, peeping on women

By: Mike McIntyre

Posted: 08/8/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

A Winnipeg man has admitted to being a serial voyeur who preyed on several unsuspecting women inside their homes and places of business.

Russel Bruce Cassels, 30, pleaded guilty to numerous offences Tuesday that involve four identified victims: the sexual assault and secret videotaping of two former girlfriends over a lengthy period of time, spying on a woman at a downtown tanning salon and peeping into the bathroom of, and photographing, a female stranger.

Cassels is being held in custody and will be sentenced later this year. He faces a lengthy stint behind bars.

"Mr. Cassels is acknowledging he betrayed the trust his former girlfriends had in him and that he violated the integrity and safety all of the victims were entitled to," defence lawyer Mike Cook told the Free Press outside court.

Cassels was set to begin a preliminary hearing this week when he opted to change his plea to guilty and deal with the case. Lawyers are not expected to make a joint-recommendation on sentence.

Cassels first came on the radar of police in December 2009 following a disturbing incident at TanFX. A 20-year-old female customer began screaming for help after noticing a stranger had scaled the wall of the tanning booth and was spying on her. The intruder responded by pushing down the lid of the tanning bed so she couldn't escape. He then fled the facility, located in the underground Winnipeg Square at 360 Main St.

The victim was emotionally traumatized but not physically injured. Police arrested Cassels days later and charged him with voyeurism, forcible confinement and break and enter. He was released on bail days later, despite objections from the Crown.

The investigation continued and took a twist when officers began examining a cellphone they had seized from Cassels during his initial arrest. Police discovered a database of several city addresses that included "shower times" for some of the female residents. Police began visiting several homes to speak with the occupants.

Police also took the unusual step of publicly releasing a photograph seized from his camera that showed the inside of someone's bedroom, hoping the potential victim would come forward. Sources said several other similar pictures were also found by police.

Cassels was rearrested in February 2010 after allegedly breaching conditions of his bail by assaulting an ex-girlfriend. He was granted bail the next day, with the Crown once again opposed.

Police continued to investigate and uncovered additional evidence involving the same woman and another former partner who came forward.

One of the women says she was sexually assaulted between June 2008 and August 2009, while the other has cited incidents between July 2009 and February 2010. There was also additional evidence of secret videotaping of both victims.

Cassels was arrested again in March 2010 on the additional charges and has been in custody since then.

www.mikeoncrime.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 8, 2012 A5

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