Sex offender a community menace: protesters

Protesters from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside gathered outside a provincial court building Friday to protest the possible release of a convicted sex offender.

About a dozen members of the city's First Nations community said they opposed the release of Martin Tremblay, who was convicted of five counts of sexual assault in 2003.

Tremblay, 45, was sentenced to 14 months after he was found guilty of plying five aboriginal teenaged girls with drugs and alcohol and then videotaping his sex acts with them after they passed out.

He was scheduled to make a court appearance Friday on charges of trafficking crack cocaine and had been in custody since his arrest.

The protesters alleged that young women in their community weren't safe if Tremblay was on the streets.

"I think that if this guy gets released that that's saying something to the community that, you know, they're not caring for youth, and they're not caring for people," one protester said.

Linked to other teens

In March 2010, Tremblay was linked to two teenaged girls who died within hours of each other.

Kayla LaLonde, 16, and Martha Hernandez, 17, had partied at Tremblay's home the night before they died as a result of overdosing on a combination of drugs and alcohol.

Lalonde was found dead on a Burnaby street after witnesses said she had been dumped from a van.

Hernandez died later after being rushed by ambulance from Tremblay's Richmond home.

Tremblay told CBC News after his name was publicly linked to the teens that the girls had been drinking at a park before showing up at his house and that he knew nothing about drugs.

No charges have been laid in connection with the girls' deaths.

Tremblay was remanded in custody Friday until his next court appearance on Feb. 3.