SELECTED CASE LAW
ONTARIO:
In 2018 ONSC 471, Mr. E, a 27-year-old trafficker, was convicted of several charges including trafficking and assaulting two young women, criminally harassing one of them, breaching a non-communication order related to the other, trafficking drugs, and careless storage of a fire-arm. He was acquitted of charges related to procuring the young women. Several other charges related to the firearm were conditionally stayed.
Ms. J and Ms. B both approached Mr. E at different times to begin working in the sex trade. Ms. J was 18 at the time and Ms. B was 19. Ms. J provided sexual services under Mr. E’s control and direction for around three years. During this time Mr. E physically assaulted her several times and threatened to kill her. He also controlled her rates and services, kept tabs on her through text message, and kept all of her earnings. At one point, Ms. J left Mr. E and he har-assed her and attempted to locate her. After Ms. J left, Mr. E relentlessly texted and called her, once he called and texted her 137 times in a 32-minute period. He also posted fake escort ads using her real photo and phone number and included a warning that Ms. J had a sexually transmitted infection in the ad. This caused Ms. J to call the police and report him.
Ms. B provided sexual services under Mr. E’s control and direction, also dictating her location, some of her service hours, and keeping all of her earnings for three months. He kept tabs on Ms. B’s hours and earnings through text messages.
Mr. E was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration, and ancillary orders including, being registered as a sex offender for life, a weapons prohibition for life, a DNA order, and a no contact order and order to keep at least 500 metres distance from Ms. J and Ms. B.
Also see: 2017 ONSC 7285 (Cetiorari application), 2017 ONSC 4028 (Conviction), 2017 ONSC 3141 (Search and seizure).
Criminal Offence(s): Human Trafficking and Advertising Sexual Services