A Saanich man who has previously advocated against sexualized violence is facing charges of sex assault and break and enter.
Joel Conway, 31, was arrested March 31 after he allegedly broke into a woman’s home in the 4300-block of West Saanich Road and sexually assaulted her, according to police.
He’s since been released from police custody on a promise to appear in court.
Conway and his wife run the Fortress Foundation, an organization dedicated to “eliminating all forms of sexual exploitation” and educating young men about sexual violence, according to its website.
Last year, Conway told the Times Colonist newspaper that he is a reformed pornography addict.
In an April 2015 editorial for GEM Magazine, he wrote: “I want to encourage you if you are interested in cultivating a culture of honor in which men can be confident in vulnerability and women and children can walk free of fear of sexual predation, to reach out to us and become part of the solution.”
Saanich police say they can’t comment on Conway’s past or any details of his private life – but they believe the suspect and victim were known to each other and the attack was not random.
“What we can say based on the investigation…is we don’t think the public is at risk,” said Saanich police spokesman, Staff-Sgt. Chris Horsley.
Conway will make his next court appearance June 7.
