Highway 401 a magnet for human trafficking, police say

[Art Mann]

Human trafficking is going on in Waterloo Region, say local police.

“Young victims are being forced into the sex trade,” Waterloo Regional Police Const. Graham Hawkins said Thursday. “We know it’s occurring in our region.”

Victims range between ages 12 to 22, Hawkins said.

He said the type of human trafficking activity that happened in Ottawa, where two 15-year-old girls allegedly forced three females to perform sex acts on men, could happen here.

It’s alleged the 15-year-olds and a 17-year-old girl lured three females, between the ages of 13 and 17, to a home by posting messages on social media websites. The victims were then allegedly forced to go to another location to have sex with men.

Hawkins said local police are involved in several investigations into human trafficking but he wouldn’t give details. He said police are working to identify victims.

Insp. Kevin Thaler said criminals are using hotels in the Kitchener and Cambridge areas.

“We’re on the 401 corridor, with the Greater Toronto Area on our doorstep,” Thaler said recently. “We are seeing it in our area.”

Hawkins pointed to a website on which there are many ads for available women, specifically referring to areas in Waterloo Region where hotels are concentrated near Highway 401. Police believe criminals are placing ads offering the services of underage girls.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

 

[Hurricane Hank]

Alarmists lol.

 

[MattRoxx]

Alarmists lol.

More than that, it is Harper Government policy. There is money to be made from human trafficking - by law enforcement agencies.

http://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/media/nr/2012/nr20120606-eng.aspx

'Human triafficking' is going to be used to include more circumstances, and whatever the supreme court rules, will be used as a reason to keep brothels from becoming legal.

To find their victims, human traffickers may approach a young woman in a bar to pursue a relationship, Thaler said. He may encourage her to try drugs, get her addicted, expose her “to sex situations,’’ then share her out, Thaler said.

“Next thing you know, the pimp owns them.”

Traffickers often take the women to Toronto and farm them out as escorts or in massage parlours, he said. The women are frequently hooked on crystal meth or cocaine.

“We know the people doing this are targeting university areas and nightclubs,” Thaler said. “It doesn’t take too long to get addicted to crystal meth or cocaine.”

That story is pretty ridiculous. Women in a bar would not be underage?! That sweet innocent young woman - hanging out alone in a bar at night, not looking to get picked up or party but drinking a few beers while reading a textbook to prepare for the next morning's class in Combinatronics and Optimizatoin. Yeah right.

And while not the intent, the scenario in the article illustrates why prostitution should be legalized and regulated IMO.

 

[dj1470]

"could"
"may"
"probably"

Yes quite a story filled with all kinds of facts and no conjecture at all

 

[Vash-T-Vay]

There is under age girls in this area. And it needs to stop. The article is not bogus what so ever . It's disgusting to me that there is people forcing these young girls to have sex!!!

 

[triguy11]

In all my time in this hobby. I have never seen an ad for under age girl nore have I ever meet one. I have no interest, I agree with the previous comments.

 

[connected]

im sure it happes as vash stated, i have not seen it and would certainly report it if I did.
just one of those things that you never thinks happens this close to home.

 

[bill bixby]

About 10 years ago the US govt paid a huge figure to same agencies (1 billion i recall)
At the end of the period the program was evaluated.
The conclusion was that zero incidents of forced prostitution were discovered that all the foreign were acting willingly.
In Canada a similar grant has just been made.

In USA there is a fair share of pimping and coersion of minors but giving money to police or Christian groups is not the answer.
The problem is more with latinos and eastern europeans than Asians

 

[Kitwat]

I think the cops are exagerating like they so often do. About 10 years ago the 2 best agencies in KW were busted for underage girls. I knew these girls and they were not being forced. One of the agency owners was a "Buddy" of mine. His excuse was that he hadn't checked their ID because he assumed their previous agency had checked. There were 3 of them - 15, 16, and 17. They all went to Cameron Heights and only worked weekends - homework. The fifteen year old was particularly hot and didn't look much more than her age. I couldn't believe an agency could be so stupid as to not check. But I repeat. These girls were not being forced in any way and really seemed to be enjoying themselves.

 

[Vash-T-Vay]

Stupidity would be believing he had no idea they were just barely into high school !

 

[FatOne]

I don't see the problem. I use the 401 to traffic myself across southern Ontario very often. Last time I checked I was human.

Stupidity would be believing he had no idea they were just barely into high school !

Bullocks. Chicks on average hit physical maturity at 16 and mental maturity... sadly often never. Consider the Traci Lords case. Main stream porn and nobody said shit for years, nobody in the industry non of the many who viewed the tapes.

 

[Vash-T-Vay]

Ya... It's the responsibility of the producer or owner to make sure they are of age.
So again ... Stupidity or probably self gain. Which still makes it in my opinion wrong and disgusting.
Porn now a days, doesn't matter how old you look or are, you have to show ID.
And that's how escorting , if you are an owner should b as well to make sure you are not contributing to the under age ring of escorting.

 

[Participaction]

We always get these alarmist reports, but I think there is every reason to believe that there is a fringe of both underaged escorts and trafficked women. What saddens me is that we get political posturing (e.g. McGuinty taking on Craigslist) rather than serious law enforcement. As a result, all escorting is tarred with the same brush of exploitation in the public's mind. More importantly, often vulnerable women continue to suffer even while our politicians make political hay of their situation.

 

[FatOne]

Ya... It's the responsibility of the producer or owner to make sure they are of age.
So again ... Stupidity or probably self gain. Which still makes it in my opinion wrong and disgusting.
Porn now a days, doesn't matter how old you look or are, you have to show ID.
And that's how escorting , if you are an owner should b as well to make sure you are not contributing to the under age ring of escorting.

We rely a great deal on agencies, it isn't as if an escort is going to show us a real ID. However as I understand it, the law doesn't really care much about such details if you get caught with a younger than 18 girl. As I understand it, with paid sex the age is 18 not 16. If you can't trust the agency to keep you safe the only recourse is to develop a GILF fetish.

 

[MasterDebator]

Hawkins pointed to a website on which there are many ads for available women, specifically referring to areas in Waterloo Region where hotels are concentrated near Highway 401. Police believe criminals are placing ads offering the services of underage girls.

I've seen a couple websites like that too but there weren't underage girls on them...

 

[Vash-T-Vay]

You cannot post on any site with out putting a minimum age of 18 on it.
The girls are being posted as older.
To point out as well, I was only saying agencies are responsible for checking ID.
Not the clients.
If you suspect someone is not of age? Walk the other way. Protects them, protects you.

 

[Art Mann]

Hmmm ... I don't recollect you asking for my ID, Miss Vash.

Nor did you walk the other way.

But I did like the way you walked ... among other things.

 

[MasterDebator]

You cannot post on any site with out putting a minimum age of 18 on it.
The girls are being posted as older.

The thing that makes me skeptical if these are backpage ads they are referring to is that I've only met one girl out there ever who looked under 25, no matter how young they claim to be. When a girl advertises as 18 I suspect the truth is 25, not 17.

If it is happen I think it must be happening on something other than BP or Dutts, or maybe the ads go up and come down quickly.

 

[Vash-T-Vay]

Usually they will be posted 20-22. To avoid any attention of possibly being underage. But that does not always work with avoiding the LE.
I posted as 29 and still got a visit , requiring me to show ID to a police officer.
Also... You know how some photos get tin eye hits?
That tactic is also used to cover up an underage girl. (post a pic with a woman's face that looks older).
The pimps out there try every tatic known under the sun to line their pockets.

 

[MasterDebator]

Interesting. I suppose it would be safe to assume the girls regularly working in town have visited by the cops by now?

Perhaps I've never run into anyone young because I don't book until I've seen that they've been in town for a while or they regularly stop by. I do it to avoid possible fakes but maybe it avoids the underage ones too.