Ryan John Seaman (19) assault charged in alleged homophobic beating of Nanaimo student

A 19-year-old man has been charged with assault in an alleged off-campus attack on a Nanaimo university student.

Spencer Frey, who used to attend Vancouver Island University, was at a party on Nanaimo’s Old Slope Place on March 27 when the incident happened.

He said someone began hurling homophobic slurs at him within minutes of arriving, globalnews.ca reports

According to globalnews.ca, Frey said he responded to the man then walked away, but things escalated before he could even leave the house.

«Then a short boy taps on my shoulder and then I blacked out», Frey said.

A 19-year-old later turned himself in to police. Court records now indicate Ryan John Seaman has been charged with assault in the case, according to globalnews.ca.

Nanaimo RCMP investigated the attack as a possible hate crime, and Frey believes it’s clear he was attacked for being gay.