Halton police say they’ve made an arrest connected to the exploitation of a female sex worker between 2012 and 2017 who travelled across southern Ontario to have sex with customers.
Detectives say the investigation began in October and led them to a suspect who was already in Hamilton’s Barton jail for unrelated offences.
It’s alleged that the suspect forced, exploited and transported a woman from hotel to hotel in Burlington, Mississauga, Brampton and Kitchener over a five-year period.
Jumanne Salmon, 36, of Pickering is facing eight charges related to human trafficking, prostitution and assault.
In October, Halton police revealed a growing problem with sex traffickers using hotels, motels and Airbnbs as bases of operation.
Police have laid 72 separate charges and rescued 12 victims of human trafficking over the past 12 months.
Det. Const. Lukasz Walczykiewicz says the Halton area is favoured by traffickers since there are a lot of highways and hotels to do business in.
“People make a lot of money in Halton – Oakville, Burlington – and you drive the QEW from Winston Churchill all the way to Brant, look to your left and right, we have so many hotels,” he said. “That is why they’re in this area – and they can charge a little bit more and they know that.”
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