Barry Sinclair, 49, was arrested in September in the area of Birmingham Street in Halifax. (Blair Rhodes/CBC)

A Dartmouth man has been charged with voyeurism in connection with a series of incidents in Halifax's south end.

Barry Sinclair, 49, was arrested in September in the area of Birmingham Street in Halifax.

Parole documents identify Sinclair as a long-time sexually violent offender and voyeur.

On Wednesday, he was charged in Halifax provincial court with five counts of voyeurism and two counts of break and enter.

The break-and-enter charges and two of the voyeurism charges are from alleged incidents on Sept. 15, 2011 at Shirley and South streets.

The voyeurism charges are for alleged incidents at undisclosed addresses in Halifax between:

• Aug. 31, 2005 and June 1, 2008.
• Aug. 31, 2007 and Apr. 30, 2008.
• Aug. 31, 2008 and June 1, 2011.

In those cases, Halifax Regional Police took the unusual step of releasing four photos of young women who appeared to have been photographed inside their homes without their knowledge.

The police appealed to the women to come forward if they recognized themselves. Three of them did.

Victim relieved about arrest

Yasmin Munoz told CBC News that a man crept into her Shirley Street flat at about 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 15 and was discovered by her roommate.

"She said all of a sudden there was a guy standing in her doorway," Munoz said.

"He poked his head in, looked and saw she was awake and just slowly closed the door and scampered out."

That same day, less than two hours later, a man was chased out of a South Street bedroom by a young woman's screams.

Halifax Regional Police took Sinclair in for questioning not long after, but he was released. Police followed him after that for 12 hours and Sinclair was soon captured outside another south-end home and jailed.

Halifax Regional Police Chief Frank Beazley told a news conference on Wednesday that the women's co-operation led to several of the voyeurism charges.

"Over the last few years, police have been investigating a series of break and enters in the south end of the city. A trend was noted that suggested that at least some of these cases may be connected," Beazley told reporters.

"There is insufficient evidence to suggest that all of the reported break and enter incidents are connected to one perpetrator. In many cases, victims were often unable to provide a description of the suspect, which requires investigators to consider the possibility that there may be more than one person responsible."

No sleep watching incidents since Sinclair's arrest

Const. Brian Palmeter, a spokesman for the Halifax Regional Police, confirmed to CBC News on Wednesday that there had been no reported sleep watching incidents since Sinclair's arrest.

Fay Cromwell, Sinclair's former neighbour, said he was an ordinary neighbour and she never had a feeling he would do anything "wrong or scary."

Despite Sinclair's arrest, Beazley warned the public should remain cautious.

"We want people to continue to be vigilant and continue to lock your doors. I can't say one way or another if he's responsible for all of them," he told reporters.

Munoz said she's relieved.

"I'm just really happy that charges have been laid because it's going to make everyone, especially [help] my roommates sleep better," Munoz said.

Sinclair, who has been in custody since his arrest in September, will remain in custody until March 13 for a bail hearing.