International student charged after alleged voyeurism involving cellphone at U of T residence

Toronto police say they have charged an international student after they received reports of voyeurism involving female students being filmed while they were in the shower at a University of Toronto residence.

In a news release on Saturday, police said the latest incident happened at the Wilson Hall Residence at New College on Willcocks Street near Spadina Avenue on Tuesday. Students alleged a cellphone was held over a shower curtain.

Police said while a female student was showering in an all-female washroom at the residence, she noticed a shadow over the shower curtain.

Shortly afterwards, the student saw the same cellphone over the shower curtain again and it was recording, police said.

A man, 19, was arrested and charged with one count of voyeurism and one count of mischief. He was due to appear in a Toronto courtroom on Saturday.

Investigators said they believe there may be more victims.

“A sexual assault is any form of unwanted sexual contact,” police said in the release. “It includes, but is not limited to, kissing, grabbing, oral sex and penetration.”

In a statement on Friday, Prof. Dickson Eyoh, interim principal of New College, said the college has taken steps to increase security and privacy at the residence in the wake of reports of voyeurism. These steps include more security cameras, signs that say public areas are being monitored and campus safety alerts in emails sent to all residents.

“Voyeurism is sexual violence, treated with the utmost seriousness and urgency by New College and Campus Safety,” Eyoh said in the statement.

Police said on Friday that they have received three reports of voyeurism at the residence between January and March of this year.