Man admits to violent sexual attacks

KITCHENER — A young Kitchener man has admitted he committed disturbing sexual attacks on three strangers, including forcing a 14-year-old girl to perform oral sex.

Edwin Antwi, 20, pleaded guilty on Thursday to two counts of sexual assault and one count of touching a child under the age of 16 for a sexual purpose. A sentencing date has not been set.

In June 2016, two women, both 22, were walking on Lester Street near Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo at 2 a.m.

“They were approached from behind by a male, subsequently identified as Mr. Antwi,” said Crown prosecutor Sidney McLean, reading from an agreed statement of facts. “He grabbed both of their buttocks and said, ‘Hey you sexy sluts.’

“He placed one arm around each of their necks in a headlock and attempted to kiss them both. He was very aggressive and was trying to choke them.”

One woman poked Antwi in the eye and freed herself. Antwi still had the other woman in a chokehold and began dragging her backwards. Kicking and screaming, she managed to break free.

The women fled and called police.

Although the women gave statements and descriptions of the attacker, police were unable to identify him.

Last May, Antwi followed a 14-year-old girl after they both got off a bus at about 11:30 p.m. at Conestoga Mall in Waterloo.

Antwi began recording her with his cellphone from behind.

The girl noticed the light from his phone and began to walk faster. Antwi caught up to her in the parking lot and grabbed her phone out of her hand, ripping out her earbuds.

“Mr. Antwi accused (her) of taking pictures of him and began scrolling through the photos on her phone,” McLean said. “Mr. Antwi came across a picture of (her) and her younger sister in their bathing suits and said, ‘This is so hot.’”

Antwi then grabbed her arms and back and forced her to walk to a park. He pushed her hands into his pants and forced her to rub his penis. He told her if she stopped, she was “not going to go home.” At one point he grabbed her breasts.

The girl “felt trapped and was afraid that she would be hurt if she tried to leave or run away,” McLean said.

Antwi directed her to a secluded area of the park, where he laid down on the grass. He told the girl, “The faster it happens, the faster you get to go home,” and forced her to perform oral sex. She feared for her safety, McLean said.

After he ejaculated, Antwi returned her phone, hugged her and told her she could leave.

“You don’t know me, I don’t know you, nobody needs to know about this,” he said.

The girl told her mother what happened. Police were called.

The victim was taken to hospital for a sexual assault examination. Swabs were taken from her face and mouth.

“Mr. Antwi’s identity was not yet known and still photos from the Grand River Transit surveillance video were circulated to principals of high schools in Kitchener and Waterloo,” McLean said.

“The principal of Forest Heights Collegiate subsequently identified the person depicted as a former student, Edwin Antwi.”

Antwi was arrested. He told police no sexual touching took place. Later, he was linked by DNA. Last August, Antwi was arrested for the 2016 attack on the two women. He admitted he was responsible for both sets of crimes and wrote letters of apology to the victims.

Of the 2016 attacks, Antwi told police he “was going to watch pornography and then decided to leave his house and go to the university area,” according to the statement of facts. He said he “was taken by the testosterone/ his hormones” and “knew it was 100 per cent wrong.”

Antwi told police he has “had a problem for many years with taking surreptitious photographs of women, especially of their buttocks, without their knowledge or consent.”

He said the crime against the girl “started with taking pictures.”

Antwi told police he “feels better now that he told the truth.”

Defence lawyer Hal Mattson said he wants a professional assessment of Antwi before setting a sentencing date.

“I’m hopeful that whatever problems he had — because he obviously had some problems — they can be identified and fixed,” Mattson said outside the courtroom.

Antwi, who has no prior record, will return to court on Feb. 22.