A man has been charged with criminal harassment after a series of reported incidents involving him filming individuals throughout Toronto. This unsettling situation has raised significant concerns about personal safety and privacy in public spaces.
According to a news release from the Toronto Police Service, the investigation began when, on June 8, 2025, a woman attending an event near Dundas Street West and Dufferin Street noticed a man recording her without consent. When she requested that he cease filming, the man responded in a confrontational manner, persistently harassing her and ignoring instructions from security personnel to leave the area. The police were subsequently called, but by the time they arrived, the individual had departed. Thankfully, there were no reported injuries from this encounter.
The troubling behavior did not stop there. On August 21, 2025, at around 2:45 p.m., the same man allegedly approached a Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) employee at Union Station. He reportedly held his cellphone close to her face while filming and made derogatory comments pertaining to her ethnicity. Once again, this incident concluded without any physical harm to the victim.
In a further escalation of these incidents, another episode took place on September 27, 2025, around 3 p.m. At David Pecaut Square, as a victim waited in line, the accused approached her while filming. Despite her request for him to stop, he moved closer and continued recording, becoming more aggressive in his approach.
The pattern of harassment included a fourth incident on May 26, 2025, where the accused targeted a female police officer who was on duty near Yonge Street and Shuter Street. He filmed her while making inappropriate remarks about her appearance. This troubling conduct was repeated on October 4, 2025, when the same officer encountered him again in the vicinity of Yonge Street and Dundas Street West, receiving similar comments regarding her looks.
Throughout all these events, thankfully, no injuries were reported. However, the situation took a serious turn when, on December 10, 2025, 45-year-old Mohamed Askar Mohamed-Razik from Toronto was arrested and charged with four counts of criminal harassment. It's important to note that none of these allegations have yet been subjected to a court trial, though he did appear before the Ontario Court of Justice earlier this week.
The investigation is still active, and law enforcement officials believe there may be additional victims who have not yet come forward. If anyone has further information related to the accused or similar occurrences, they are encouraged to reach out to the police.
