A massive cross-Canada police investigation into alleged ‘sex slavery’ included two arrests in Kitchener.
Waterloo Regional Police say they worked with the RCMP and 24 other police agencies across the country in Operation Northern Spotlight – an investigation into young women forced to participate in the sex trade.
As part of the operation, police learned of an 18-year-old Toronto woman who was allegedly forced to work as an escort at a Kitchener hotel.
“They came across a female victim that was being forced to provide sexual services to individuals against her own free will,” RCMP Cpl. Judith Falbo tells CTV News.
In connection with that case, two men – 24-year-old Shakib Gharibzada of Toronto and 25-year-old Masood Hejran of Newmarket – were arrested in Kitchener last week and charged with human trafficking, sexual assault, using an imitation firearm and other offences.
“These males basically said to her ‘You are now going to be working for us’ and took control of her,” says Falbo.
“(They) moved her to Kitchener from Toronto, advertised her services and had her provide sexual services to paying clients.”
More than 330 women, some as young as 15, were interviewed as part of Operation Northern Spotlight.
Some were forced into performing sexual acts for paying customers multiple times per day, police say, with some or all of the proceeds given to the adult allegedly coercing them into performing the acts.
While the Criminal Code of Canada defines that behaviour as human trafficking, police say they are beginning to consider ‘sex slavery’ as different from other forms of human trafficking.
“Not all of the females that are offering and providing these services are doing so willingly,” says Falbo.
Police say they continue to investigate.
Anyone with information about similar incidents is asked to contact Waterloo Regional Police at 519-653-7700, RCMP at 519-896-3542 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
A similar case occurred locally in November.
In that incident, a Cambridge man was accused of encouraging a girl under the age of 18 to work in the sex trade and keeping her earnings for his personal use.
His case remains before the courts.
