The man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a young girl appeared in court Thursday and agreed to remain in custody until his next court date in September.

Stanley Tippett also told a Peterborough, Ont. judge that he was carjacked at gunpoint on the night the assault occurred and had nothing to do with the incident.

Tippett is charged with kidnapping, sexual assault and sexual interference after a 12-year-old girl was snatched off a Peterborough street, driven to the Oshawa area and assaulted behind a school.

The girl was walking home from a party with a friend around 1:30 a.m. on August 6 when she was pulled into a van.

About an hour later, a woman heard a girl's screams coming from behind a school in Courtice, just east of Oshawa. Police found the girl and arrested Tippett about six hours later just outside of Peterborough.

Security was tight at the courthouse for today's proceedings.

A heavily armed tactical unit from the Peterborough police force set up outside the court in advance of Tippett's arrival.

Those who attended today's hearing also had their bags checked and had to pass through a metal detector before entering the courtroom.

A sergeant told CTV Toronto that the extra security was just a precautionary measure and would not confirm if it was due to a threat against Tippett's life.

Tippett is married with five children, but also has a fianc�e who did not know about his family.

After initially renouncing her husband, Tippett's wife Natalie will now stand by her man, according to his lawyer, Michael McLachlan.

"She loves her husband and she has five children by him and consequently he's an integral part of the family unit," McLachlan told reporters Thursday. "Perhaps she was upset about the initial allegations and she's gotten over that and their love is strong."

McLachlan also said he has hired a private investigator to help him look into his client's case.

Tippett was once a prime suspect in the murder of Toronto teen Sharmini Anandavel, who went missing in June 1999 after telling her parents she was starting a new job at a telemarketing company.

Police later learned the job did not exist. Anandavel's remains were found in a North York ravine four months later.

No one was ever charged in the case.

With a report from CTV Toronto's John Musselman