Burnaby News: Man arrested after ‘disturbing’ sex notes left to women

A young man has been arrested after several women reported receiving “disturbing” sex notes — or, in some cases, underwear — in the same Burnaby, B.C., neighborhood in recent months, RCMP said Thursday.

Eight of the alarming discoveries were reported between September 15 and November 3, all near Telford Avenue and Beresford Street, a busy area near the Metropolis at Metrotown shopping mall.

Some of the items were left in the victims’ cars, Burnaby RCMP told CTV News.

The notes “expressed thoughts of a sexual nature” and “implied that the suspect was stalking the victims,” ​​the detachment said in a news release.

“I can only imagine the unsettling feeling these women must have felt knowing someone was following them,” said Sgt. Freda Fong, in the release.

“It was important for us to promptly identify and arrest the individual in the shortest possible time. We need to send a strong message to the community that this type of behavior will not be tolerated and that the police prioritize women’s safety.”

Officers took a 20-year-old suspect into custody on charges of criminal harassment on Nov. 6, but he has since been released from custody.

Authorities said the young man is under several strict conditions, including not having contact with the victims or visiting any places they are known to frequent.

Burnaby RCMP said two women have come forward, but there may be others out there. The detachment urged anyone experiencing criminal harassment to contact authorities.

Examples of criminal harassment can include repeated phone calls, threatening voicemails, constant email messages, stalking someone, sending unwanted gifts, among other behaviors, the detachment said.