Man gets five years for 2016 sex assault, other crimes

Man impersonated officer then forced sex worker to perform sex act, forfeit cash

A man who was found guilty of a 2016 sexual assault of a woman in a south-side hotel room, attempted robbery and impersonating a peace officer has been sentenced to five years in prison.

Kelly Plamondon, 38, was found guilty of the three offences on May 17 after a judge-alone trial presided over by Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Debra Yungwirth.

Before her sentencing decision, Yungwirth outlined the events she described as a “major sexual assault involving a weapon” that took place over about one hour three years ago, in a south-side Edmonton hotel room.

On Feb 4. 2016, a woman, whose identity is under a publication ban, was working as a sex worker. She brought Plamondon into her hotel room for a prearranged meeting. Inside, she described what she would not do.

Plamondon then pulled out what the woman believed was a police badge and told the woman she was under arrest for “operating a bawdy house.”

Yungwirth said Plamondon searched the woman’s belongings as she sat in a chair watching. He told her he was looking for “contraband, drug money and the proceeds of crime.” He also was speaking with a woman over a twoway radio as he was searching the room, telling the woman over the radio what was in the room.

“At one point the complainant got up out of the chair ... (Plamondon) took out a switchblade-style knife and made her sit back down,” Yungwirth said.

“He then set the knife down on a table to intimidate her.”

Plamondon found the woman’s wallet and bank card. He had her log in and show her account balance. Plamondon told her that he would not take her to a police station if she emptied her bank account and give the money to him.

The woman then began to put on sweatpants but Plamondon told her to stop. He said he would give $200 of her money back to her if she performed oral sex. She refused and that’s when Plamondon sexually assaulted her.

During the assault, Plamondon suddenly said “f--- it, let’s go” and walked out of the hotel room ahead of the woman. At that point she kicked him, Plamondon fell outside the hotel room and the woman was able to close and lock the hotel door, calling 911.

Yungwirth called Plamondon’s offences serious.

“(It involved) a high degree of control over another person during which period you sexually assaulted her,” she said.

She said Plamondon’s impersonation of a peace officer helped him “gain control” over the woman.

“These offences clearly involved planning as is evident from the fact that Mr. Plamondon had a knife, a badge and a two-way radio and the fact that he acted with the assistance of another person who communicated with him on the two-way radio,” Yungwirth said.

Plamondon was sentenced to five years in prison for the sexual assault, two years for the attempted robbery and six months for impersonating a peace officer, to be served concurrently.

He also received 181 days of credit for pretrial custody along with a firearms ban for 10 years and 20 years on the national sex offender registry. ajunker@postmedia.com

Twitter: @junkeranna