Peterborough couple charged with human trafficking

A Peterborough man and his teenage girlfriend have been arrested following a human trafficking investigation.

Peterborough police launched an investigation in late August after receiving information that another teenage girl had been coerced into creating an ad for sexual purposes. Between July and August, the victim then had dates with men, exchanging sexual services for money, police said.

“Any money made by the victim was turned over to the co-accused,” police stated.

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Police said a video was also made and distributed to several people containing sexual images of the man and his girlfriend.

Warrants were issued for the arrest of two people and they were taken into custody on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old man is charged with:

• Traffic in persons under 18 years of age
• Procuring under 18 years of age
• Material benefits from sexual services under 18 years of age
• Makes, prints, publishes or possess for the purpose of publication child pornography
• Possession of child pornography
• Imports, distributes, sells or possess for the purpose of distribution or sale any child pornography
• Fail to comply with the conditions of an undertaking

The teenage girl (under age 18) is charged with the following:

• Traffic in persons under 18 years of age
• Procuring under 18 years of age
• Material benefits from sexual services under 18 years of age

Both co-accused are scheduled to appear in court later today.

“As the male accused is in a domestic relationship with the female accused, who is also a victim and a young person in this incident, the name of the co-accused will not be released in order to protect the identity of the victim(s) and comply with the Youth Criminal Justice Act,” police stated.