London police say a man has been arrested after officers found online ads that allegedly sought women for escort work, sparking concerns for a potential link to human trafficking.
Police say the ads were posted on LeoList, a Canadian website that hosts classified ads for a number of services, such as female massages, platonic dating and escorts.
According to police, detectives with the human trafficking unit spotted a London-based ad on the website in early February that promised lucrative work for women between the ages of 18 and 35.
Police say applicants were guaranteed earnings of $600 to $1,200 a day with no experience required.
Police added that in text message conversations, the person who posted the ad allegedly indicated the job was for escort work.
A similar ad was also found on LeoList postings for the Windsor region.
“We are concerned that there may be others who responded to these postings and have ended up involved in doing sex work for a third party as a result,” said Det. Cam Halliday.
Halliday added that the selling of another person’s sexual services is “a situation that can often lead to exploitation and human trafficking.”
As a result of an investigation, Edward Duane Garinger, 46, of London faces one count of procurement for sexual services.
Police say the accused was also arrested on five outstanding warrants from different provinces across Canada.
Garinger remains in custody and is awaiting his next court date.
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