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Sex assault suspect in custody

A man accused of abducting and sexually assaulting a Gasoline Alley hotel worker last month has found a lawyer.

A man accused of abducting and sexually assaulting a Gasoline Alley hotel worker last month has found a lawyer.

Justin Chase Mueller, 28, appeared in Red Deer provincial court on Friday via a closed-circuit television link with the Edmonton Remand Centre, where he remains in custody.

Mueller was represented by duty counsel on Friday.

But Judge Gordon Deck was told that Edmonton lawyer Amy Lind had been retained by the accused.

Police allege that a woman was forced into a vehicle at knifepoint about 12:20 a.m. on Dec. 3, shortly after she finished her hotel shift south of Red Deer.

It is alleged that a suspect drove the woman to a bank machine in Red Deer and forced to withdraw cash.

The woman was later dropped off at a convenience store in Inglewood, police said.

Mueller was arrested by police in Edmonton on Dec. 5.

He is charged with armed sexual assault, armed robbery, kidnapping, uttering threats and theft over $5,000.

His next court appearance is set for Jan. 16.