TORONTO— Police west of Toronto have charged two people with human trafficking after a teen escaped a life in which she was allegedly forced to work as an exotic dancer.
The victim “had just turned 17” when she met two young men in early November who “lured and coerced” her into becoming an exotic dancer through promises of “financial gains,” Halton Regional Police said in a news release this morning.
“The victim was provided with fictitious identification and placed in a Mississauga based strip clud,” police said.
She tried to leave on two occasions, for which she was assaulted, police said.
“The victim was forced to continue dancing at the Mississauga strip club and was forced to turn over all her earnings to the suspects.”
When she wasn’t at the club, her movements weer restricted at the Burlington townhouse where she was held. She was transported to and from the club, police said, adding her alleged traffickers “also attempted to get the victim to participate in acts of prostitution.”
She was able to escape while the suspects were sleeping during Wednesday’s early morning hours, police said.
Tactical officers raided a townhouse complex where they found “valuable evidence along with $3,870 in cash and three grams of marijuana.
Jordan Isaiah Cromwell, 21, of Burlington, was charged with human trafficking, material benefit from human trafficking, withholding documents for human trafficking, forcible confinement and possession of marijuana.
The pair was scheduled to appear in court today.
The first two human trafficking convictions in Canadian history were sealed this year by Peel Regional Police. Both cases involved teenaged girls and a young woman forced to prostitute and hand over all their money to their traffickers.
Peels’ vice unit is leading the country in human trafficking cases, with nine charges still before the courts—including two cases that involve suspects with ties to North Preston’s Finest.
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