TORONTO — A 20-year-old Markham man has been charged in connection with an underage prostitution and assault investigation involving a 17-year-old girl and police believe there may be more alleged victims.
York Regional Police investigators from the Drugs and Vice Unit responded to a condo building on Cox Boulevard at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday in Markham, after reports of an injured girl.
When officers arrived at the building, they found a 17-year-old girl hiding behind a security desk and suffering from “obvious injuries.”
Police entered a unit in the building where a suspect was located and arrested. The girl was taken to hospital for treatment of her undisclosed injuries.
Police allege that the suspect was “controlling the victim” and exploiting her as underage prostitute.
Edwin Jack, 20, has been charged with:
- Trafficking in persons under 18.
- Procurement to have illicit sex with persons under 18.
- Material benefit from trafficking in persons under 18.
- Exercise control, direction or influence over movements of a person under 18.
- Assault.
- Aggravated assault.
- Assault causing bodily harm.
- Sexual assault.
- Four counts of uttering death threats.
- Drug trafficking offences.
Investigators have released a photo of the accused and believe there may be additional alleged victims, as they say the accused was also active in London and surrounding areas.
Jack has been held in custody and is scheduled to appear in a Newmarket court on Tuesday.
The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact the York Regional Police Drugs and Vice Unit at 1-866-876-5423, ext. 7817, call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS, leave an anonymous tip online at http://www.1800222tips.com, or text your tip by sending TIPYORK and your message to CRIMES (274637) starting with the word YORK.
Comments