B.C. man charged with 10 counts of sexual assault with a weapon
Victoria police received multiple reports of women being sprayed with unknown liquid last fall
A 49-year-old man is facing 10 counts of sexual assault with a weapon after a series of attacks on women last year, according to Victoria police.
They say the department began receiving reports of women being sprayed or splashed with an unknown liquid in the city's downtown last November.
Police believe the liquid was corrosive, as some of the victims reported that the substance had damaged their clothing and they felt a burning sensation.
All of the victims were women, ranging in age from 15 to 48.
Police say they arrested a suspect late in December, and a Victoria man was formally charged on March 14.
They say he is currently awaiting trial, bound by court-ordered conditions.
A December police statement said officers were investigating two separate incidents in which women had an unknown, "hot-feeling'' liquid splashed on their legs.
Similar incidents followed, including on Dec. 29, when a man allegedly sprayed a group of women with a liquid that damaged their nylons, the statement said.