RCMP impostor guilty of kidnapping, sex assault
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 | 6:53 PM MT
CBC News
Gerard John Baumgarte, seen here in a courtroom sketch, cried after pleading guilty on Tuesday. (CBC) A central Alberta man who dressed up as an RCMP officer, kidnapped a teenage girl and sexually assaulted her for two days pleaded guilty to several charges Tuesday.
Gerard John Baumgarte wiped away tears after pleading guilty to kidnapping, assault, sexual assault, confinement, using a fake firearm to kidnap, and impersonating a peace officer.
His teenage victim was not in court Tuesday, but her parents and other family and friends watched the proceedings.
"She didn't want to be here and I understand that. It's a lot for anybody to sit here and have that monster in front of you," her uncle said outside court. "She is at home right now and my sister has been communicating to her through text messaging."
The teen's uncle said he doesn't believe Baumgarte is truly remorseful.
"He is sick. You can't explain crazy. You just can't understand it. You never will," he said.
Kidnapper hunted for victim
According to an agreed-upon statement of facts read in a Red Deer courtroom, Baumgarte spent one or two weeks searching for a victim. He spotted the 16-year-old at a gas station in Penhold, about 120 kilometres north of Calgary, on the evening of Feb. 26.
In an interview with police, Baumgarte said "he never thought he would have the opportunity to kidnap anyone and it seemed like everything fell into place" when he saw the teenager, according to the statement of facts.
He followed her truck to her home, where he turned on flashing lights in his vehicle and emerged dressed as an RCMP officer.
Baumgarte lured her into his vehicle on the pretense that her vehicle registration had expired, pulled out a knife and later a BB gun, tied her wrists and blindfolded her, then put her in the trunk.
The teenager called her parents from this Red Deer mall. (CBC) He drove to his trailer in Red Deer, where he held and sexually assaulted her for two days.
On Feb. 28, Baumgarte dropped her off at a Red Deer shopping mall with $5. She got change and called her mother, who called police.
Police used security video footage from the shopping mall to identify his vehicle and later arrested him.
Lawyer's sentencing submissions began Tuesday and will continue this week.
With files from Tara Fedun
