BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) – The Vermont man charged with kidnapping a woman and her 5-year-old son in New Hampshire and later sexually assaulting the woman in Vermont must stay in custody, a federal court magistrate ruled Tuesday.

Everett Simpson, wearing a red prison jumpsuit, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Conroy who agreed with prosecutors who argued there was no way to protect the public and guarantee Simpson would appear for future court appearances if he were released.

“This is an exceedingly serious case,” Conroy said.

If convicted, Simpson, 41, who has a criminal history dating to 1995, could be sentenced to life in prison.

Simpson is charged with leaving a Bradford drug abuse treatment center Jan. 4 and traveling to Manchester, New Hampshire, where he pushed a woman and her child into their car outside the Mall of New Hampshire. He then allegedly drove to White River Junction, Vermont, where the woman told police that he sexually assaulted her in a hotel room in front of her son and then left.

Simpson is due to make his next court appearance later this month.