A Calgary man has been charged with kidnapping, drugging, and sexually assaulting women working in the sex trade on an acreage east of Chestermere.
In March, Calgary Police Services (CPS) began an investigation after allegations that a man was targeting women working in the sex trade in Calgary.
Between December 2021, and March 2023, three women were approached by a man in Forest Lawn, where they were allegedly drugged, and taken to a rural property where they were physically and sexually assaulted, a CPS press release said.
On April 6, with assistance from the RCMP, CPS executed a search warrant for the rural property on Vale View Road in Rocky View County. Officers took a tenant of the property into custody.
Richard Robert Mantha, 59, of Rocky View County was charged with 13 offences including kidnapping, forcible confinement, administering a noxious thing, sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault causing bodily harm, assault with a weapon, uttering threats, pointing a firearm, outstanding warrants for sexual assault, assault causing bodily harm and failure to attend court.
Mantha will appear in court on April 12.
“Over the past several weeks, this investigation has evolved rapidly,” said Acting Staff Sergeant Shelby Stewart of the CPS District 4 General Investigations Unit. “We are grateful to the victims who have come forward and trusted us with this investigation and ask anyone else with information to contact police.”
The property search was completed on April 11, but CPS and RCMP are continuing to investigate, with the possibility of additional charges.
“These charges are very significant, they are serious charges, and serious allegations. The investigators were very thorough, it was a large property. The evidence is what the evidence is. They went in looking for evidence around these crimes,” Calgary police Supt. Cliff O’Brien said in a news conference.
He added investigations are often like jigsaw puzzles. In this case, CPS received information along with partner agencies, who started putting all of the information together.
Throughout the multi-day property search, police officers protected the scene while the forensic team and cadaver dog searched the property.
“The homeowners of the property have cooperated with the police, the accused was living on an outbuilding on the property,” O’Brien said.
CPS have engaged resources to ensure all the victims have access to wrap-around support.
“Anytime a victim is confined it’s going to be traumatic. In a case like this, as you can tell from the charges, it’s probably just that much more traumatic for them,” O’Brien said.
He noted typically crimes committed against women working in the sex trade are underreported, because the victims don’t feel comfortable reporting to incident to the police or feel like they won’t be believed.
“As a result, they don’t come forward. Really, for these victims to come forward and talk to us, they were very courageous, and we’re very appreciative that they did,” O’Brien said.
“We encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual assault to report it to their local police agency and want to remind victims that there is no statute of limitations on the reporting of a sexual assault in Canada,” the release said.
Victims of sexual assault can reach out directly to resources, such as Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse, 211 Alberta, and the Alberta One-Line for Sexual Violence.
Anyone with information about the case, or who is looking to report a crime, can contact police by calling 403-266-1234.
Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or online.
