Bail denied for Alberta man accused of sexually assaulting five women in Calgary

Richard Mantha is seen in a sketch from his first court appearance on April 12, 2023. (CTV Calgary/Damien Wood)

CALGARY -

A man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting five women in Calgary has been denied bail.

Richard Robert Mantha, who is 59, faces numerous charges involving five women that include kidnapping, forcible confinement, sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault causing bodily harm and administering a noxious substance.

His bail hearing took place over two days, but the details are covered by a publication ban.

The judge denied Mantha's release before trial, which is tentatively set for early 2024.

Police have said the women allege they were approached by a man, then drugged and taken to another location, where they were physically and sexually assaulted.

Mantha was charged after officers cordoned off a property east of Calgary in April and brought in cadaver dogs, but police said at the time that no bodies were found.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 30, 2023.