Hamilton Police Make Human Trafficking Arrest
Human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, harbouring and/ or exercising control, direction or influence over the movements of a person in order to exploit that person, typically through sexual exploitation or forced labour.
Over the past week, Hamilton Police entered into an investigation and as a result, a 32-year-old man has been charged for a number of Human Trafficking related offences.
CHARGED | CHARGES |
· 32-year-old man · Kitchener | · Trafficking in Persons · Point Firearm · Material Benefit from Sexual Services · Tampering with Serial Number of Firearm · Aggravated Sexual Assault · Utter Threat to Cause Death or Bodily Harm · Prohibited Firearm – Loaded/Unloaded · Operation While Prohibited · Forcible Confinement · Three Counts of Assault Level One · Procuring for Sexual Services · Advertising Sexual Services |
To protect the identity of the victim the name of the accused will not be released.
Human trafficking is an offence under the Criminal Code of Canada and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
In many cases, victims are reluctant to come forward and report human trafficking due to manipulation, fear, threats from traffickers, shame, language barriers, mistrust of authorities or they may not even realize that they are victims of human trafficking.
If you or someone you know is being trafficked, call Hamilton Police at 905-546-4925 or in an emergency please call 911.
To provide information anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit your anonymous tips online at http://www.crimestoppershamilton.com.
The Canadian Centre to End Human Trafficking has resources available for victims and survivors of human trafficking on their website at http://www.canadiancentretoendhumantrafficking.ca. A national hotline is also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-833-900-1010.
Hamilton Police Service Victim Service’s Branch responds to the immediate needs of people who have been victimized by crime and/or trauma, including victims of Human Trafficking.
The Victim Services Branch staff is specially trained to provide practical assistance, emotional support and referrals for additional community resources.
Chrysalis Anti-Human Trafficking Network 1-866-528-7109
The Chrysalis Network offers a free, confidential telephone trauma counselling service to women, men, and youth who have been trafficked/exploited for the purposes of commercial sex or forced labour. They also offer ongoing support to sex workers who do not personally identify as trafficked/exploited.