Edmonton police charge youth with human trafficking

Edmonton police have charged a 16-year-old boy after officers say a 16-year-old girl was held against her will and sexually exploited for profit.

The investigation began in late March, when the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) received a tip that a female youth may be involved in the sex trade and in need of help.

On April 5, police found the girl at a hotel in south Edmonton. Officers said the teen had “reportedly been confined at the location for over a week and forced into the local sex trade.” The girl was taken out of the situation under the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act (PSECA) and provided support though Alberta Children’s Services.

Police allege the girl was being trafficked by a male youth she met at a local shopping centre. Police believe the pair spent time together over the course of a month, while the male showered the girl with expensive gifts.

“It is often very difficult for those experiencing sexual exploitation or sex trafficking to come forward and ask for the assistance they need,” said Staff Sgt. Dale Johnson with the EPS Human Trafficking and Exploitation Unit.

On Tuesday, the male youth was arrested and charged with procuring a person under 18, trafficking of a person under 18 and obtaining material benefit from the sexual service of a person under 18.

Anyone with information on the investigation or tips related to sexual exploitation in Edmonton is urged to contact the EPS at 780-423-4567 or #377 from a mobile phone.