Toronto: Police has busted a sex ring and arrested three men and two women, who face numerous charges. The arrests took place in May. Details of the operation were released yesterday.
Toronto Police Service Human Trafficking Enforcement Team said it is alleged that a woman met a man on an online dating site.
He invited her to a party and once there, the woman was sexually assaulted by two men.
The female victim was then trafficked into the sex trade. She used to be transported to various hotels in the Greater Toronto Area and throughout Ontario.
Turn over earnings
She was forced to turn over all her earnings to the man as she was fearful for her life. The man had threatened to kill the her if she ever left. She was shown firearms to control and intimidate her.
After a few months, the victim was turned over to the second man who had also sexually assaulted her at the party. He continued to traffic her in the sex trade. The first man continued to maintain control over the victim and directed her to turn over her earnings to his mother.
Mother took money
The man’s mother accepted money from victim with full knowledge that all the money received was the result of the victim working for her son in the sex trade.
A third man, an associate of the first, procured the victim to work for him and when his attempt was unsuccessful, he sexually assaulted the victim on two separate occasions. Another woman, assisted in the transportation of the victim and disposing of the firearms which were shown to the victim.
Firearms located
With the assistance of the Toronto Police Service Marine Unit, officers located two firearms and a conducted energy weapon from Lake Couchiching alleged to have been used to maintain control over the victim.
On Friday, May 17, 2019, investigators from the Toronto Police Sex Crimes Human Trafficking Enforcement Team, along with the assistance of members from the Toronto Police Emergency Task Force and Barrie Police Service, executed two Criminal Code Search warrants in Barrie.
The Arrests
As a result Tapiwa Musara, 27, Jacqueline Myers-Ellis, 54, and Anya Browne, 38, of Barrie, was arrested. On Saturday, June 22, Devone Nolan, 30, of Toronto, was arrested and on Tuesday, June 25, Stephan Myers, 28, of Barrie, was arrested.
Police are concerned there may be more victims.
Police would like to encourage all affected individuals to come forward and report Human Trafficking occurrences to police.
What is Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking means every person who recruits, transports, transfers, receives, holds, conceals or harbours a person, or exercises control, direction or influence over the movements of a person, for the purpose of exploiting them or facilitating their exploitation, for a sexual purpose or a forced labour purpose.
Victims can be men, women or children; can be Canadian citizens; and can be moved across local, provincial or national borders. They can be coerced through violence or the threat of violence against family and friends.
The Human Trafficking Enforcement Team of Sex Crimes is dedicated to investigating these crimes against vulnerable members of society. For more information, please visit the Sex Crimes website.