TORONTO — A 31-year-old Toronto man faces 10 charges in connection with a human trafficking investigation after police say a woman was forced into the sex trade with multiple clients against her will, beaten and threatened before escaping her alleged captor when she was “momentarily” left alone.
Toronto police’s Service Sex Crimes Human Trafficking Enforcement Team and 31 Division’s Major Crime Unit launched an investigation after a 26-year-old woman approached uniformed officers about alleged abuse.
The woman reported that she had met a man who police said introduced her to the sex trade and took her to several hotels in Toronto where he allegedly rented rooms and took photos of her that were posted on Internet escort sites that advertised sexual services.
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Police said the man would monitor phone calls and text messages to the woman from “potential clients” and booked times with the woman.
The woman then allegedly told the man she no longer wanted to work in the sex trade and advised him she wanted to return home to her family.
Investigators said the man refused her request and began to beat and threaten her, before he allegedly told her she would not be allowed to leave, forced her to have more sex with clients and confiscated her money.
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On Monday, police said the woman was “permitted to leave the room momentarily” and escaped. She then approached uniformed police officers nearby and reported the alleged abuse.
Damion Sinclair, 31, was arrested and charged with:
- Trafficking in persons by recruiting
- Trafficking in persons by exercising control
- Financial benefit
- Withholding or destroying documents
- Material benefit from sexual services
- Procuring/recruiting a person for consideration for sexual services
- Advertising sexual services
- Assault
- Forcible confinement
- Possession of cocaine
He appeared in a Toronto court on Tuesday and police believe there may be other victims.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7474, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at http://www.222tips.com, or by texting TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637).
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