Over a two-day period this month, members of Edmonton’s VICE Unit arrested and charged 26 men for allegedly paying for sexual acts from sex workers.
Edmonton police said officers spent Thursday, Feb. 9 and Friday, Feb. 10 conducting “proactive enforcement to effectively disrupt exploitative activities associated with street-level consumers of the sex trade.”
In total, 26 men between the ages of 19 and 60 were arrested and charged with obtaining sexual services for consideration under the Criminal Code.
READ MORE: Campaign launched to end sexual exploitation in Edmonton
Police said the men charged include “a university student, trade workers, professionals and unemployed.”
Officers also laid two trafficking charges and one 24-hour suspension under the Traffic Safety Act.
READ MORE: Edmonton man charged with forcing woman into sex trade
“VICE Unit takes this exploitative behaviour seriously,” Staff Sgt. Dale Johnson said. “The police work hard to deter ‘johns’ from our neighbourhoods and to keep our communities safe.”
Anyone who witnesses solicitation of sex in their neighbourhood is asked to call the Report-a-John line at (780) 421-2656.