A man has been accused of abusing a dog and sex trafficking at least five women in the Edmonton area, where police believe there are more survivors who have not yet come forward or agreed to speak with investigators.
Staff Sgt. Chris Hayes is in charge of Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams human trafficking and counter-exploitation team and said the investigation began last summer, when a woman called 911 and said she was being forced into prostitution by the accused.
It started after the woman responded to a social media post by the a 47-year-old man, who was advertising a room for rent in Edmonton.
A post on the Facebook page of the accused from September 2025 is still up, advertising a room for rent in a townhouse near Southgate Centre in south Edmonton for $700 a month.
“(The accused) agreed to pick up the victim from her location in Red Deer, drive her back to Edmonton,” Hayes said.
“Upon their arrival, (the accused) explained that he was a human trafficker — a pimp — and that she would be working for him.”
Hayes said the woman was scared and didn’t have control over what she was forced to do.
“(He) collected money, he posted ads for her, he communicated with sex purchasers, he drove her to different dates where she had to perform sexual services for money that she didn’t see anything of.”
In total, 10 victims have been identified, Hayes said, and five of them have spoken to police about their experiences.
“We know about five additional victims that, at this time, didn’t want to provide us information — but we think there’s more on top of that as well.”
If other victims or people who have interacted with the accused come forward, Hayes said more charges could be laid.
It takes a great deal of courage and strength to go on the record and speak with police, Hayes acknowledged.
“It’s extremely hard. It’s traumatizing. They’ve gone through this horrific event,” he said. “Unfortunately, we have to get a detailed statement from them. So it is hard for them to provide that statement, to relive the trauma.”
Many survivors also feel shame at getting roped into being trafficked or fear of getting in trouble themselves.
“For a lot of people, there’s some embarrassment around this. I just encourage people to do their best to talk to us and provide a statement.
“Let us know what happened to you so that we can help you move forward with your life.”
Hayes couldn’t say if human trafficking is becoming more prevalent in Alberta but he did note awareness is increasing, as are resources to combat it from the government.
Action Coalition on Human Trafficking Alberta (ACT) provides front-line services to victims and survivors of both labour and sex trafficking. Executive director Carey Collins said education and awareness initiatives are helping more people detect the warning signs.
“For sex trafficking, I would say some of the most specific indicators would be a change of behaviour,” Collins said.
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“If you’re seeing them starting to come home with expensive clothes, jewelry, new shoes, new phones, with no apparent ability to purchase those — that might be a red flag.”
Another indicator is someone frequently moving around to different work locations, cities, and provinces — especially if combined with a new “relationship.”
It isn’t just men — ALERT said women are also used to recruit victims, attempting to build connection with young women and teens.
The top risk factors for sex trafficking are substance use concerns, homelessness, and unstable housing — factors that make a person easier to prey on.
“A trafficker will exploit whatever vulnerability the victim is experiencing,” Collins said. “If you’re looking for love, if you are looking for a home, if you were looking for access to drugs, the trafficker will see that and exploit it.”
It starts with manipulation.
“They know what to do. They know the words to use, they know the phrases to use. They know how to approach a person, make them feel comfortable and then attack their vulnerabilities,” Hayes said.
“A lot of the people we deal with have some sort of vulnerabilities and these traffickers know how to exploit that.
“Unfortunately, they are really good at their jobs.”
Police said sites like Facebook are making it easier for predators to find victims.
“Social media definitely affects the luring and procuring of human trafficking victims. It definitely makes it easier for them,” Hayes said.
“Like all technology, it’s created with good intentions. Unfortunately, there’s bad people in the world that use it with bad intentions.”
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Collins said LGBTQ2 youth from unsupportive homes or communities are a frequent target, as are newcomers or immigrants.
“Many are so scared of retaliation, of being deported, of threats to their family back home, so they just will not approach it. It can also be really hard to tell your story again, especially if there’s a language barrier. So it’s really important to have support in place during the reporting process,” she said.
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ALERT said the survivors have been provided support resources through its Safety Network Coordinators.
“They provide all kinds of supports for survivors of human trafficking. Anything you can think of — if a victim needs that support, we will do our best to help them with that,” Hayes said.
Those who are being human trafficked can also call 211 for help.
“There are supports available if people come forward and ask for them.”
In addition to the women, ALERT said there was evidence of a dog being sexually and physically abused by the accused.
“It is shocking. I wouldn’t say it’s common — we have seen it in the past but fortunately, it’s not common,” Hayes said.
ALERT confirmed the accused has a history with police and has previously been charged with similar human trafficking offences.
“It’s concerning that there was an incident over a decade ago with the same individual and he’s still doing it now,” Hayes said, adding the accused was not convicted. “It is extremely troubling and we’re hoping that our charges will hold him accountable.”
The accused was already behind bars when the ALERT human trafficking unit went to make an arrest and press charges, Hayes said.
“He was arrested in November of 2025 on unrelated charges and he remained in the Edmonton Remand Centre.”
While most human trafficking is rooted in organized crime, ALERT said that is not the case with this accused.
Jonathan Allard, 46, is facing 26 criminal charges.
The charges include trafficking and benefiting from it, forcible confinement, assault, procuring and advertising sexual services, bestiality, causing unnecessary pain, suffering, or injury to a dog, animal neglect, and is accused of not providing enough food and water for the pet and leaving it in distress.
Allard remains in the Edmonton Remand and his next court appearance is scheduled for April 16.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact local police or Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-TIPS).
If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking and needs help, resources are available:
- Call 911 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger
- Contact 211 Alberta for resources and support
- Contact the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline
- Phone: 1-833-900-1010
ALERT is an integrated, specialized agency made up of members from police forces across the province, who investigate serious and organized crime.
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