Halifax police hunt serial bum-grabber
Charles Mandel, CanWest News Service
Published: Friday, August 10, 2007

Experts are warning that a butt-grabbing bike rider who has sexually assaulted at least eight women in Halifax in recent months might become even more aggressive.

Because the individual has repeatedly struck despite attention from police and the media, it is likely he will "up the ante,'' said Brad Kelln, a clinical and forensic psychologist and professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

"That suggests to me the person is really having great difficulty controlling the behaviour,'' Kelln said.

The suspect -- who has struck throughout central Halifax at night -- rides up behind his victims and gropes them in the buttocks. In two instances, he has also assaulted women and in several cases he tried to strike up conversations with them.

Kelln said such offenders often first work up their courage to commit their crime even though they're aware it's wrong and could carry consequences. But as they get away with their deviance each successive time, they become bolder and may well "up the ante so that other behaviours will follow."

William Pitt, a criminologist at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, agreed the bike rider could become more extreme in his behaviour. "Is there a concern? Yes. Is it possible it will accelerate? Yes."

Halifax police seized a bicycle early Wednesday from a man matching the description of the rider, but the individual bolted through neighbouring backyards. The suspect is described as a white male in his mid-20s with short hair and an average build.

Losing his bike may not necessarily stop the man, Pitt said. "The sexual drive is very strong. He'll use whatever means it takes to satisfy his deviancy."

© The Calgary Herald 2007