Sex offender facing charges over B.C. teen deaths

Convicted sex offender Martin Tremblaywas formally charged in relation to thedeaths of teenagersKayla Lalonde and Martha Jacksonin a Vancouver court on Thursday.

Tremblay, 45has been charged with two counts of criminal negligence causing death, two counts of failing to provide the necessities of lifeand two counts of obstruction of justice.

Lalonde, 16was found dead on a Burnaby street on March 2, 2010 after witnesses said she had been dumped from a van.

Jackson, 17died hours later after being rushed by ambulance from Tremblay's Richmond home, where the girls had been partying.

Toxicology results indicated that the apparent cause of death for both girls was a lethal combination of alcohol and drugs.

The ensuinginvestigation into the friends' deaths involved up to 100 police officersand close cooperation between the RCMP andVancouver Police Department.

Previous convictions

Tremblay was previously convicted of five counts of sexual assault in 2002 and sentenced to 14 months. He was found guilty of giving drugs and alcohol to five aboriginal teenage girls and then videotaping his sex acts with them after they passed out.

InFebruary 2010, Vancouver police took the extraordinary step of issuing a public plea for victims of Tremblay, after a protest on the Downtown Eastside by First Nations women who were concerned about Tremblay's upcoming release from custody.

In September of this year, police announced he wasfacing seven new charges for sexual assaults on young vulnerable women and girls.

Tremblay is in custody and scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on Jan. 23, 2012.