Bail denied for man facing multiple charges of threats, assault against sex-trade workers

A provincial court judge in Vernon, B.C., has denied Curtis Sagmoen's bail application.

Sagmoen, 37, is facing five charges related to an incident south of Salmon Arm in late August 2017 where he is accused of threatening a sex trade worker with a shotgun while wearing a mask.

Sagmoen appeared by video link for the court appearance. A date has not been set for histrial.

All evidence presented in the bail hearing, as well as the judge's reasons for denying bail, are protected under a publication ban.

About a dozen protesters, many of them First Nations women from the North Okanagan and Shuswap First Nations, rallied on the Vernon courthouse steps ahead of the hearing, calling for an end to violence against women and for Sagmoen to be denied bail.

"This is really important to our people, allies and Secwepemc people, to call for justice for our our women, to call for justice for the victims that may have been impacted here," said rally organizer Jody Leon, reacting to news Sagmoen had been denied bail.

Other allegations of violence

Sagmoen is accused of additional crimes against sex trade workers in the North Okanagan.

He's facing charges of assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm for an incident that allegedly occurred earlier in August 2017.

He's also accused of assault for an incident that allegedly occurred in July 2017 south of Salmon Arm.

Police have saidthe two incidents involved two different victims who were advertising their services online.

Earlier this year he was charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm in relation to events that allegedly took place in Maple Ridge in 2013. A trial date has been set for February 2019.

Prior to his arrest last year,Sagmoen was living on his parents'farm south of Salmon Arm.

The property was the site of an extensive search by the RCMP that resulted in the discovery of the remains of 18-year-old Traci Genereaux.

RCMP have not laid charges in the case and have not indicated that Sagmoen is a suspect in Genereaux's death.